Dark Love
by Datenma
Summary: Robin(Isaac) in a vampire who has been living on the planet for centuries who only lives to kill his creator. Ivan is a newbie vampire hunter, still confused about his place in the world. What happens when the two meet? Shonen-ai! (Robin&Ivan) COMPLETE
1. Darkness takes All

**Dark Love**

**By**: Padfoot-chan

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the Golden Sun characters. They belong to Camelot.

**Warning**: If blood makes you queasy, this is not the story for you but I only talk about it a little bit. Shonen-ai later in the story but not until maybe the second chapter.

This is first person point-of-view. We start out from Robin's POV and switch over to Ivan's in the next chapter. It will go Robin-Ivan each chapter unless I say otherwise. I hope everyone enjoys reading this vampiric story. Read and review please.

**Chapter 1**: Darkness takes All

My upper lip curls back as I grab the man's shoulders, pinning him up against the alley wall with ease. The two sharp fangs glistening in the slivery moonlight before I use them to puncture the delicate flesh at his neck, the man's struggling body slowly growing limp as I suck the warm blood from his neck. I revel in the bitty-sweet taste of the blood as it touches my tongue and slides down the back of my throat before I break away from the man before his heart can stop beating. I bite down on my tongue, using my own blood to close the small puncture wound. I reach in to my pocket with my free hand, the other holding the dying man against the wall. I fish out a small knife and cut slits into the man's wrists before allowing him to slide to the ground. I slip the knife back in to the pocket of my trench coat and turn away from the body, walking through the deserted alleyway.

I am a child of the night, a vampire as people have called us for what seems like forever. I have roamed this earth for over a century now and I have seen countless civilizations rise and fall before their time. I have watched as the lives of thousands of fragile humans came in to blossom and wilt as if they were mere flowers in a growing garden. In a sense, that is all they are to me, meager flowers in a forgotten garden, overrunning the garden slowly but surely as their own life comes to an end.

My natural life ended long ago, but I can remember it with such clarity that it sometimes haunts me as I meander the streets at night. The plagues were unbearable in my day. My youngest brother and two older sisters suffered from the plague. We could not even bury them because famine had weakened us. Even if we had not been weak from starvation, there was no room to bury their bodies for the number dead bodies kept growing with each passing day; they were just piled on top of the other in the streets. That has all changed now. Viruses that were once thought of a deadly and incurable in the past can now be cured with an injection of an antibiotic and some rest. These humans take their modern magic for granted. They do not understand what it was like to live with death all around you, drowning your every senses until you ate, slept, and breathed it, losing yourself to the death completely. It ruled my youth, took my beloved siblings and drove both of my parents to the brink of insanity. I watched them argue constantly about the most trivial things, mainly about how the plague had yet to take me as it had taken the rest of our family. They slowly began to grow more violent with each argument, my father beating my mother each time. I fell asleep listening to her crying, the sound engraved in my mind forever.

A little after my eighteenth birthday, my father came home, with alcohol strong on his breath. He pushed me to the ground before lifting me up by my collar and then throwing me in to my room, locking the door behind him. I heard my mother scream, telling him to let me out. Her scream was followed by the sound of skin hitting skin, my father cursing at her before punching my mother, the sound of his fist hitting her and then the sound of her falling onto the ground with a cry of pain. I listened to them, unable to do anything to help as I cowered in the corner of my room, the sound of my mother crying and struggling as my father tore her clothes off, his insane laughter filling my ears, drowning me in his own insanity.

That was when the front door slammed open. Everything outside my room immediately grew silent, heavy footsteps sounding on the wooden floorboards as someone entered the house. Then my mother screamed followed by a frightened shout from my father, the would demon leaving his mouth multiple times. There was the sound of swift movements as someone ran across the room; my father's strangled croak reached my ears. I lowered my arms from my head and straightened up slowly, staring at the locked door that kept me from the room outside where my parents and this new stranger were only a few feet away from me. Something heavy fell to the ground and then my mother's voice broke the silence that followed.

"Who are you? What do you want from me? Please, do whatever you want to me; just do not hurt my son. He is the only one I have left in this world. Do not harm him." My mother's last words, spoken from her heart. She damned my soul for all eternity because of what she said to the stranger that night. Those words have never left me, perhaps they never will and I will carry them around with me as long as my heart beats in my chest. She truly loved me, up until the last moment of her life, all she could think about was my safety. She was dear to me. She still is dear to me and I hope I never forget her.

After my mother said those final words, someone laughed. It was a bone-chilling sound that caused a shiver to crawl up my spine. I stagger to my feet, leaning heavily against the wall to regain my balance. I slowly move toward my door, pressing my ear up against the cool wood to hear what was going on outside my room better. "Do not worry, fair lady. The only reason I am here is because of your son. I am searching for a…protégé as it were. Your precious son happens to be perfect for what I have in mind." My mother let out a gasp that is a mixture of both pain and surprise and I feel a sharp pang in my heart. I slipped to the ground and pressed my forehead against the door. I could feel it then, my mother's soul being drained from her body with each passing second. There was nothing I could have done then. I was too week to stop her from dying that night. I would pay for that as well. I am still paying for my weakness that night, with every unholy breath I take, every beat of my dark heart.

Before I knew what was going on, my door was ripped off its hinges. A tall man with long black hair and piercing ice-blue eyes stood before me in the doorway, smirking down at me. Behind him, I caught a glimpse of my father's body lying facedown on the floor and sitting upright against the wall was my mother, her mouth hanging open slightly with her eyes half lidded. Both of them were dead and this man had killed them in a matter of moments while I listened to him do it, sitting in the corner of my room and shivering like a coward. Was this man going to kill me now as well? Would he want to make a clean job of the murder he had committed? The man lowered himself to the ground with a grace that did not belong to that of a human being. I stumble backwards, wanting to distance myself from this man. The smell of death was all about him and on his breath was the metallic smell of fresh blood. My parents' blood, mingled with the blood of other innocent people. It overwhelmed me, awakening past memories. My brother crying out to me in pain, blood trickling out the side of his mouth as tears streamed down his cheeks. My mother held his small, fragile body in her slender arms as he slowly slipped away. I always hated the smell of blood, I still do even now with me being who I am. It reminded me of how truly weak the human race is, how we have become so dependent that we do not even realize it ourselves. A loss of self. A loss of caring. A loss of innocence.

The man reaches out to me and I suddenly find that I cannot move from the spot I am in anymore. The man's eyes. They are so cold, as cold as that laugh that had passed through his lips before he killed my mother. Something colder than ice, sharper and more piercing than a knife cutting through your heart. Heartbreak. Death. Blood lust. A passion burning like a crimson fire for all three. Burning desire to destroy those around him. Careless disregard for the rules. A need, a want to break every rule that was set up against him, every rule solely placed in front of him to hinder his fun. A hand as cold as those eyes touches my cheek, forcing another shiver to run up my spine. "You are a pretty boy, aren't you? Sensual pale blue eyes…Yes, you are perfect." The man whispered, his voice silky as it passed through his lips and reached my ears. "Do not be afraid. I am merely fulfilling your mother's dying wish. She wanted no harm to come to you and after this, none will. You, my boy, will become an immortal. You will walk through history, learn more than you could ever imagine. The world and everyone in it will become mere toys to you, bending to your every will. All you could ever want lies before you now, my boy! I will not take no for an answer, either. You belong to me now."

He grabbed my shoulders with lightening quick reflexes, pulling me to his chest and then he pulled down my collar, revealing my pale neck. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the man's upper lip curl back as two, razor-sharp fangs slide from his mouth. I try to struggle, kick or even punch the man to get away from him but his grip is too tight. I shut my eyes tightly when I feel the two fangs penetrate the skin on my neck. The man's lips are there before blood can begin to trickle from the newly formed wound. All thought leaves me when I feel him begin to suck at the wound, my blood rushing from the vein, through the tiny holes and in to the man's mouth. My strength slowly leaves me every time the man takes more and more blood of my blood in to his mouth. The room starts to swirl around me, objects losing their shape. Slowly, nothing is real to me except that intense sucking at my neck. The numb thought lulls me in to some morbid sense of security. Just as my vision begins to fade to black, plunging me in to eternal darkness, the man pulls away from my neck and lifts his wrist to his mouth, running on pointed fang along his pale skin, breaking the soft tissue there with ease.

He lifts his wrist to my mouth, the pungent smell of fresh blood breaking me out of my daze. I stare down fearfully at the blood dripping from the wound on his wrist, wondering what the man wanted me to do. "Drink." It was a simple command but he spoke it with such force that I knew he seriously wanted to me drink. He grabbed the back of my head with his other hand when I would not comply with his command and he forced my mouth on the wound. I gasp and inhale some of the blood, my lips finally curving around the man's wrist. "Drink or you will die." I swallow, the thick, sticky liquid sliding down the back of my throat. A wave of nausea hits me and I begin to sway but the hand that is now on the back of my neck holds me in place.

Something inside of me knows what the man says is true. The part of me that holds the burning desire to live—even though my only family is dead and gone now—overpowers me and I begin to suck at his wrist and with each gulp of blood, I feel my strength begin to return to me. I continue to drink for what seems like an eternity before the man pulls his wrist away. I did not understand why then but I whimpered pathetically and reached out for his wrist again, wanting nothing more than to continue to drink the blood from his wrist. "Now, now. Do not be greedy. There will be plenty of time for that later. Now, you are of my kind and you will live for centuries, maybe longer. There are things I must teach you before I unleash you upon the world."

I felt sick. I had become the same as the monster that had killed my parents, and perhaps countless others. I might as well have been the one to have killed them myself. I slowly began to withdraw within myself, cutting all of my thoughts and emotions from the outside world. It drove my maker crazy. He would yell, throw things just to try to drive some kind of emotion out of me. Nothing worked and one day, he left. I had become free in a sense so I decided to travel around the world, testing my limits—if I had any for that matter—and the abilities of the mortal humans that filled the world around me.

From the first day of this sick immortality, I noticed some drastic changes in both my physical and mental attributes. All my senses had been heightened by the change, my skin had grown paler and my eyes had gained a sharper look to them until it looked as if they could pierce your very soul. I had grown smarter as well, past memories that were nearly impossible for me to remember when I was human suddenly became ridiculously easy for me to recall almost as if they had happened mere seconds before. I also found I could speak any language after only listening to a few words and then speak it as if I had been living in that county for my whole life. No book was a difficulty to me. I could read hundreds of pages in minutes and remember every little detail with great ease as if I had studied each page for hours with a careful eye for detail. My strength had grown immensely as well and I had become surprisingly graceful. Over the years, I have accumulated a small fortune, enough to buy any estate in any country on any piece of land that I wish to live in.

I had been living in one of the big cities in America up until a year or so ago. It was becoming too crowded for me, the constant noise growing unbearable to my sharp hearing. I decided to leave and found myself in Japan, probably a place more crowded than the American town I had been living in. However, I found that I like it and I have stayed there since. I walk the streets at night, luring my victims from one of the many bars opened to people at night and into a deserted alley where I would then grab them and suck their blood from their body. I left their bodies there because I did not have time to waste dumping them somewhere. It might have made that easier for someone to find them that way and I did not need anyone to be alerted of my presence.

Over time, I had changed. It was to be expected of course. I have to kill people to keep myself going and to save what little humanity I have left inside myself, I keep my emotions from ever reaching the surface.

To make things worse, Japan is home to a group of prestigious vampire hunters, one of the world's best. I ran in to a small group the other night. They did put up a good fight before I killed them, but even humans with their powers cannot hope to beat a vampire as old as I am. Besides, I still have one reason left in this world to keep living. Finding my creator, if he is still alive that is. There is probably no vampire hunter alive in this world with the ability to kill my maker, but he can kill himself. Either by stepping into a fire or standing in the sunlight my kind can die. A vampire hunter has the ability to bend their magic to their will, summoning a fire to wrap around a vampire's body or summon a false sun to burn out flesh. When I find out where these vampire hunters are training, I will break in and put a stop to them once and for all. It can become very annoying to have them follow you around town for hours before they actually strike out. I should be thanking them, though. Thanks to them, I am one of the only vampires in Japan.

I turn a corner and walk up the steps to my large mansion, unlocking and opening the door with a simple look before stepping over the threshold and hanging my coat over the back of a chair. In all my years of roaming this world, I have not seen or heard of my maker's whereabouts. I am looking for him so that I can kill him myself. I do not care how I do it but I wish to seek revenge for my mother's death. Her dying words may have drove him to turn me in to this blood drinking monster but she loved me and he had no right to take her life in the way that he did. He may destroy me if I were to try but at least I died with the knowledge that I did something instead of sitting idly by, disgracing my mother's memory. I have become just like him, though. I have killed too many innocent people to ask forgiveness from anyone. My mother would cry if she ever knew what I have become.

However, darkness will eventually take all souls, no matter how pure the person is. I was taken long ago and I take people now. I will continue to take the lives of people until I find my creator and fight him in a final battle. It does not matter the outcome to me. I have walked on this earth long enough.

**-TBC-**

Next chapter belongs to Ivan! Read and review please 3


	2. Light in Darkness

**Dark Love**

**By**: Padfoot-chan

Thanks for the nice reviews; I am so glad that you like the story so far. I know about the bad grammar/typos but the problem is I type so fast and I never pay attention to what I am typing. I am in the process of reading the first and second chapter over so I can get rid of the typos and fix my grammar. Sorry, it annoys me when I find them later on. Trust me, I spend hours beating myself up because of the mess-ups. Also, I gave in to the total Japanese storyline. I am finally using everyones' Japanese name. Garcia is Felix and Jasmine is Jenna. I thought it was about time that I stopped fighting it, especially since this story is set in Japan. I really wanted to place it in Tokyo…gay capital of the world and everything. Over 700 popular gay Japanese bars in Tokyo. Eh heh. On with Ivan's chapter.

**Maniac-Miko**: I am glad that you like my story :3 And to answer your question, I like using the Japanese names as well as the Japanese names for the places. It is probably because I like to keep things as Camelot created it. Maybe it is also my little rebellion against the English adaptation. Sorry if it is too confusing. I like their Japanese names a little more as well, even though Robin's name is the only one that is actually a Japanese name. This is my current project now and until I can think of something to happen in the other stories, I am going to be working on this one for me. The third chapter should be done in a couple of days if writer's block doesn't hit me again XD

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the Golden Sun characters. They belong to Camelot.

**Warning**: Shonen-ai a little later in the story. I sort of hint at it but not too much.

Read and review please.

**Chapter 2**: Light in Darkness

My plane landed in Sendai about an hour ago. I just came back from attending my grandmother's funeral in Hong Kong. I had to stay a little long than I planned to because the police were telling me about how she was murdered. They found her sitting in a chair; two puncture wounds in the side of her neck with all of her blood drained. Aside from the two small wounds in her neck, there was no other opening for the blood to be drained from. If my father had been alive to attend the funeral, he would have said that a vampire killed my grandmother. My father was very suspicious of supernatural things and would always jump to supernatural conclusions before even thinking that it could be explained naturally. I do admit, though, that this was a little too suspicious.

I walk through the sliding doors on the bottom floor of the airport, carrying my duffle bag in one hair and my laptop under my right arm. My mother said she would be sending someone to pick me up to take me home, even though our house is in Fukui. I still do not see why I had to take the plane to Sendai instead of just going to Fukui directly, it is closer to Hong Kong. Sighing, I set my duffle bag on the ground, set my laptop on top of it and put my foot over both of them before taking out my cell phone and dialing my friend's number, grateful that I had spent a year in Sendai before I went to Hong Kong. The phone rings a couple of times before the answering machine comes on. I sigh again, closing my phone and putting it back in my pocket. I wonder where he could be at this hour.

I go to pick up my laptop and bag again when a black sports car pulls up in front of me. I blink at it a couple of times and then the window rolls down, a pair of fiery brown eyes smiling up at me. "Jasmine? What are you doing here?" Jasmine was my friend's younger sister, a real stubborn girl but she knew when she was going too far and when to swallow her pride and apologize for something she had done wrong. She waved to me happily, climbing out of the car door and picking up my duffle bag and laptop.

"Garcia and I came to pick you up, of course. Your mother gave us a call a couple of days ago when you were still in Hong Kong and she asked us if we would be willing to look after you for a couple of years. You can stay at the academy that our parents run." I stare at her as she opens the back door to the car and set my bag on the floor and then my laptop on the seat behind the driver's seat. "I know it may come as a shock, and we did want to tell you about it before you came back to Japan but your mother said it would be better this way. At least you would not be able to protest." I nod to this unable to say anything because my mind was numb with shock at this sudden news. I just come back from my grandmother's funeral and now I learn that I have to live away from my mother for "a couple of years". How long was that going to be? "It isn't so bad, is it, Ivan? I mean, you are going to be among friends. You can attend school at the academy and I am sure you will be able to go to Fukui when we have breaks. I am sure your mother did not intend for you to stay away from home forever."

"Jasmine, we should really discuss this on the way home." Said Garcia, leaning across the seat to look at us, an odd look in his russet eyes. He sounds like he is really in a hurry, like someone was following them. Jasmine smiled apologetically before turning around to look at me, grabbing my arm and dragging me over to the car, pushing me inside before I could begin to protest. "You look well, Ivan. I trust that the funeral service was not too much of a strain on you."

I smile weakly at him as I buckle up, "It wasn't so much the funeral but having to listen to the police report before and then after the funeral. I know it was just their job but they spoke about my grandmother as if she was not even a person. I suppose it was the fact that it gave me chills to listen to them talk that bugged me." Garcia nods and starts the car, pulling out of the airport and driving through the crowded streets. "I am just glad that my mother was too sick to attend the funeral. I do not think she would have been able to stand it and then all the questioning for the police. They wanted to know if my grandmother had any enemies. I am a little apprehensive of how she died, though. The investigator said that she had been drained of her blood and the only wounds on her body were two small holes in her neck."

Jasmine gasped and turned to Garcia quickly, her long auburn hair swinging around and she turned. Garcia narrowed his eyes but kept looking at the road, sweat breaking out over his pale forehead. Jasmine turned away, looking down at her hands in her lap as she grabbed folds of her skirt. I blink at them, wondering what I could have said to make the two of them act so strangely all of the sudden. I decided to continue when neither of them spoke. "They also said that she must have known whoever killed her because she was sitting in her chair, reading when she was murdered. I do not have any idea who would have wanted to have killed her though. My grandmother was nice and everyone who attended her funeral was crying. Then again, I do not suppose the person who killed her would have dared to come back to pay their last respects." The air around me was still tense. Jasmine and Garcia were hiding something from me, something dreadfully important. "So how have the two of you been?"

Jasmine was the first to break out of her daze. She smiles at me in the mirror and waves her hand to me. "You know me, I'm still going out with Gerald, much to Garcia's disappointment. He thinks Gerald is not good enough for me or something. However, you know what, Gerald is one of the top students at the academy. Mother and Father are really proud of the progress that he has made since he first came to Sendai." Garcia harrumphed but chose not to comment further on Jasmine's praise of her boyfriend. From what I heard from Garcia the last time I was in Sendai, it seemed that Jasmine and Gerald had been dating since they were in elementary school. Garcia had always disapproved of his younger sister dating Gerald, but I think that if anyone else were dating Jasmine, he would treat them the same as Gerald, if not worse. "And Gerald's mother had another baby. It is a girl and she is just the cutest little thing that I have ever seen. I was able to see her when I went to England with Gerald a week ago. I came back because I had to see my favorite little prodigy when he returned to Japan." Her favorite little prodigy. That is what she likes to call me sometimes. I took a placement exam for the academy when I first came here and it showed that I would have been put in the most advance class, with Garcia. My mother did not want me to attend the academy, though. She had just wanted me to get a feel for another city other than Fukui, where I had spent most of my life. "I also thought you could use a shoulder to cry on but it seems that you have been taking the death of your grandmother very well."

I laugh weakly, rubbing the back of my head as my cheeks redden. "You think so. Maybe it is because I had to listen to the police report so many times that it does not seem real anymore, is sort of feels more like a dream that I am going to wake up from any minute. I am still waiting for my grandmother to call me from Hong Kong and tell me it was all a joke that my mother planned to get my mind off her sickness." I lean back against the car seat, pushing my bangs out of my eyes. "That is probably why my mother is making me stay at the academy for so long."

"There might be something else." Said Garcia simply making Jasmine and me look over at him, wondering if he was going to elaborate more on the statement. When he did not say anything more to this Jasmine sighed, shaking her head.

"Garcia can be so cryptic sometimes, it is really starting to get annoying." She said, turning around in her seat and smiling back at me. "I am really glad that you're here, Ivan. I have really missed you and a lot has changed around the academy. You should see how much Sheba has changed in such a short time and she has gotten a lot smarter. I know she is not your type and all but, you should go on at least one more date with her. She seemed quite taken with you last time, even after you dumped her. And you never know, you might like her now that she has matured a little bit." I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Jasmine, I really do not feel like going out and having a good time with someone like Sheba. Our personalities clash so much that I am afraid if she says something I do not like or agree on, I might leave her at the restaurant or wherever we go to and take the car before she can run after me." I smirk at the thought, getting too much pleasure in the idea of ditching the girl with the bill at some expensive restaurant. "I do not like Sheba, I didn't even like her as a friend when I first met her. She was too hyper and annoying, sort of like Garcia's ex-girlfriend on a sugar high." Garcia coughed at this, glancing back at me with a disgruntled look. "I don't care how much Sheba has changed, I still won't want to go out with her. My tastes are a little more…different now. Besides, I do not want to date anyone right now. I want to concentrate on my studies. I need to get my mind off things for a while."

Jasmine pouted, "Aw, come on, Ivan, the two of you would make such a cute couple." Garcia rolled his eyes and poked Jasmine in the side of her ribs, making her turn around and glare at him, puffing up her cheeks. "What'd ya do that for?"

"Because Ivan is too much of a gentleman to tell you to shut up. I, on the other hand, am your brother so I do not have to act like a gentlemen around you." Explained Garcia, smirking slightly before he continued, "Now, stop badgering poor Ivan. He had a long flight from Hong Kong and I seriously doubt that he wants to be set up with Sheba after returning from a funeral. Besides, she is annoying." Jasmine stuck out her tongue and smirked at Garcia. I knew that smirk. She was plotting something against Garcia. Sibling rivalry, after spending a year with them, I was more than used to them arguing.

"Alright, Garcia, let's change the subject to something else, shall we?" she asked, still smirking at him. I furrowed my brow, wondering what she could possibly be planning. "How is your current love affair with Picard? Have the two of you gotten to third base yet?" The car swerved, throwing both Jasmine and myself into the car door before Garcia regained control of the vehicle. He turned to his sister, eyes wide and his cheeks crimson.

"I told you not to talk about that! It's embarrassing!" Jasmine giggled, patting his shoulder and making him turn his attention back to the road before we crashed.

"Aw, Garcia, you're so cute when you blush." She teased him, "It isn't anything to be embarrassed about, really. Oh, wait! I see Gerald. Drop me off at the corner here." Garcia pulled over and Jasmine hopped out of the car, "I'll get a ride with him back to the academy. I'll see the two of you there."

"I thought you said you wanted to hang out with Ivan." Grumbled Garcia. I wave my hand at this, dismissing Jasmine so she can run off to Gerald.

"It's alright, Garcia. I was thinking about taking a walk around the town anyway, you know, check out the sites and all that." I smile reassuringly at the confused look he gives me before starting down the street again. "I did that a lot when I was in Hong Kong. I hated being cooped up in that house with only my cousins for company. I'm still used to being able to go out and take a walk for a couple of hours."

"Well, if you say so. I do not stay out too late, though. There have been strange murders happening all around Japan lately. I doubt that you have heard about it because it only started happening a while ago." Garcia turns in to a large driveway, pulling through an old wrought-iron gate and along a cobblestone driveway. The academy is an old mansion that used to belong to one of Garcia's rich ancestors. Garcia and I are related because the ancestor that built this mansion was my great-great-great-grandmother's brother. That was the reason I was staying in the academy before I went to Hong Kong, aside from wanting me to get a feel for another city, my mother had also wished for me to learn a little from the teachers here as well as getting to know my relations.

I step out of Garcia's car, brushing back my bangs as a breeze blows them in to my eyes. I look up at the five story building, whistling at it as Garcia steps out of the car, opening the door on his side and grabbing my bag and laptop. "Do you want anyone to go with you?" he asks, walking around the back of the car. I wave my hand and hurry along the walkway to the gate, waving back to him when I reach the gate.

"I'll be just fine. I think I will head over to the park for a little while. I will probably be back before sundown, but if I am not, do not worry about me. You know how slow I can be when I am thinking. I normally don't get back before dark when I am out for a walk anyway." I turn around and hurry off.

"Ivan, wait—" I hear him start to say as I round the corner. I glance down at my watch and sigh. The sun should be setting in about half an hour. That does not really give me enough time to head over to the park but I would like to see the cherry blossoms if they were in bloom. Plus, I did tell Garcia that I might not be back before sundown so he should not be too worried about me.

I wonder down the crowded street, neon store signs coming on here and there, as the sky takes on a purple hue. The streetlights flicker on as I turn another corner, walking down a steep hill. I can see the park a few blocks away from me and the cherry blossoms are almost in bloom. I wish my mother could be here when they blossom, she loves watching the sakura trees bloom. If her condition is still as bad as it was when I left Fukui, she might not be able to get to watch the sakura trees there either.

I let out a sigh and continue down the hill, the sun sinking below the mountains before I can reach the park. I glance down at my watch to check the time again, still walking down the street when I run in to someone turning the corner. I stumble backwards, tripping over my feet when the person I ran in to grabs my arm, saving me from falling to the concrete. I lean forward, breathing a sigh of relief as the person pulls me close. "Thank you for helping me." I breathe, "I'm sorry about running in to you, though. I should have been paying better attention…to where I…was going…" I look up and freeze. Beautiful, pale blue eyes staring down at me with almost a dead look in their depths but perhaps that is what makes them look so beautiful. My heart is pounding so loudly in my ears, I am sure that he can it as well. My is this man so…

He lets go of my wrist, letting it drop back down to my side. He side steps and glances back at me, pausing for a moment, "You should be more careful, kid. There is a murderer out on the streets. You do not want to be killed at such a young age, trust me. Go home." I turn around to walk him walk away gracefully, heat creeping up my cheeks. Something about that man was not normal…I just cannot place my finger on it. Something about he did not seem human…

I slowly turn back around and continue down the street to the park. I return to the academy after spending an hour in the park, just walking around and getting used to Japan again. When I returned, Garcia's mother practically attacked me, asking me if I was okay, if I had met anyone strange or felt as if someone were following me. When she was satisfied that there was nothing wrong with me, she led me to the common room where Jasmine, Garcia, Picard, Mary, and Gerald were sitting around in couches near a large fireplace. Jasmine jumps up and runs to me, throwing her arms around my neck and pulling me into a tight hug. "Jasmine…I can't breathe! You're hugging me too tightly." I gasp as she removes her arms from my neck.

"I was so worried about you! Why didn't you let Garcia or someone go with you? Garcia told me that he warned you about all those strange murder cases, why didn't you listen to him? You could have been killed out there tonight." She started crying, rushing over to Gerald and crying on his shoulder. I blink at them. They all looked so serious about this.

"The killer stuck again, while you were out. The reporter said someone saw that it was a man, about six-foot-one, looked to be about in his late teens, with white-blonde hair. The woman did not get a very good look at the man so she wasn't able to tell what the man's eye color was." Explained Picard as I dropped down in to one of the chairs. "The murder was near the park and the media wasn't allowed to release the sex of the victim, so we naturally could not rule you out. You really had us worried, Ivan. Garcia was going to send us out to go looking for you if you didn't come back soon."

"I am sorry that I worried all of you but what would have done if the killer was after me? He might have just killed you as well. You know, get rid of the witnesses." They all exchanged odd looks before turning back to me, Jasmine still crying on Gerald's shoulder.

"We are stronger than you might think, Ivan." Smiled Mary, "We can handle ourselves against one murder, you might just be surprised at what we can do. Next time, please allow one of us to accompany you when you go out for a night stroll. It would be much safer for you to travel with someone." So much for being alone with my thoughts, "Could I perhaps come with you next time? We could talk if you would wish to do so."

I smile weakly, "That would be nice. Thank you, Mary." Picard turns to Garcia, smiling. Garcia clears his throat.

"Why don't we play some board games to get Ivan used to us again. I hate awkward moments. Jasmine, stop your blubbering. Ivan is just fine."

"Stop being a heartless bastard, Garcia!" Jasmine yelled, grabbing a pillow from the couch and throwing it at his head. Garcia grabbed it before it could hit his face and threw it back at his sister, managing to hit Gerald instead. Gerald stood up, grabbing two pillows and grinning at us.

"Pillow fight!" He launches the pillow at Garcia, only to have him knock it aside, hitting Picard. Picard whacks Garcia in the face with another pillow Mary grabs the pillow next to her, throwing it at me to get me to join them. I grab the pillow I was sitting on and throw it at Gerald, our laughter filling the air as the night settles in around us.

One must remember, without life there can be no death. No death without life. And just as well, there can be no darkness without light. And with light, comes darkness in the form a shadow. It is a natural part of life and no one can fight it off. So why bother being depressed when you can live life to the fullest while you are still alive. I never want to be depressed. No matter how bad things are, I always want to walk through this world with a smile on my face. Because, there are people who love me and want to see me happy. I want them to be happy so I will always walk with a smile on my face. For them.

-TBC-

I didn't want to make Ivan angsty like I usually do in my stories; I wanted him to be happy. Robin is the one that is going to give off most of the angst but that is later and I don't want to give any the rest of the story because I don't have a clue where this is going either ::weak laugh:: But trust me, Robin and Ivan are my favorite couple so you know they are going to be together eventually. Plus, I know that Robin's hair is sandy blonde but I think being turned into a vampire might change it up a little bit and I love white-blonde hair and I thought it would compliment his eyes a little better now that they are "piercing blue" still pale blue but like he explained in the first chapter, they seem to give off the ability to piece into someone's very soul. And please notice how Robin did not kill Ivan but killed someone else instead, sparing him. ::nudges Robin:: Ohhh yeah. Oooooh yeah.

Robin: Just get Moonchild already.  
  
Gackt-sama! Hyde-sama! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Read and review please.


	3. Seductive Values

**Dark Love**

**By**: Padfoot-chan

Meep! Gomen nasai, **Maniac-Miko**! Oh, now I feel bad about getting you in to trouble. However, I'm really glad you and **Midnyte Wolf **like it so much so far. In addition, I put up a gift for all the readers/reviewers of **Dark Love**. It's on my deviantART account so just go to my profile and look at my homepage if you want to check it out. It is of Robin and Ivan so yeah :3 I tried really hard to make it good.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Golden Sun characters. They belong to Camelot.

**Warning**: Shonen-ai hints but not too much until later in the story. More blood XD

Read and review please!

**Chapter 3**: Seductive Values

As the sun sinks below the mountains, my eyes flutter open and I slowly rise from my bed. I am not your conventional vampire. I do not like to dress in capes or sleep in coffins during the day. I am quite comfortable with blue jean pants and sleeping in a normal mortal bed no matter how much I am not mortal. I stare at the curtains next to my bed for a moment, watching as the last blood red rays of the sun disappear from view before I climb out of my bed. I move over to my closet opening it and then removing a thin black, sleeveless shirt and throwing it onto my bed. I turn around to look at the clock, rummaging further in the closet for a pair of pants to wear. The sun set early today, normally it would have set about an hour later.

Sighing my fingers touch the familiar material of one of my jean pants. I pull it out, frowning slightly. They had a hole in the left knee and blood stains on the back of the right pocket. It seems I was a little messy with the kill when I was wearing these. I throw the pants onto my bed next to my shirt and grab the ends of my nightshirt, pulling it over my head and tossing it over in to the corner of the room. As I move to undo my pants, my fingertips brush against a thin scar that is slashed diagonally across my chest. A memento of just how foolish I was when I was mortal.

Two years before I died, when my father returned home, drunk as usual, he tried to rape my mother as he sometimes does after hours of drinking with his so-called friends from his work at the factory. I had finally had enough, he was taking things too far and I knew that I could not just sit around and allow him to hurt my mother. What I did not know was that he had a knife on him. He cut me across my chest when I went to jump on his back to pull him off my mother. I almost died then blood loss. I wish he had killed me that night. At least then I would not have to walk the world taking the lives of people when I have no right to do so myself. It is not right, what I do, but I have no other choice. Until I might him again, I must continue to take the lives of others to become stronger so one day…I might just be able to beat him and avenge the death of my mother.

Occasionally, when I stop to really think about it, I feel as if I am trapped in my past, damned to forever relieve every single horrible moment with such clarity that the past sometimes collides with the present. It is strange how, even after becoming an immortal and living for more than a century, that I still have not learned that it is pointless to dwell on things that are not in my power to change. I cannot help feeling the way I do, though. There was so much I could have done in the past and now, there is only one option open to me. Revenge, even if it means death.

I quickly dress and step out of my room, walking through the silent house until I reach the bottom floor. I grab my keys off the counter in the kitchen and walk into the hallway, slipping on my long, black leather trench coat. I pull on my boots, zipping them up at the sides before I slide out of the front door, locking it with a glance at the deadbolt. The air outside was surprisingly sweet. The sakura trees must almost be in bloom. I had hoped that I would be able to stay in Japan long enough to see the sakura trees in bloom.

I push past the front gate, turning the corner and walking down the street, slipping my bare hands in to my pockets and closing my eyes, whistling an old tone my eldest sister had once song to me. It was so long ago that I heard her gentle voice.

The sweet notes die in my chest as I turn around another street corner and a young boy bumps in to me. I stand my ground as the boy stumbles backwards from the force of hitting me. He trips over his own feet and reaches out an arm to stabilize himself. Instinctively, I grab his grasping wrist, pulling him close to me before he can fall to the ground. He begins to speak with his head bowed, "Thank you for helping me. I'm sorry about running in to you, though. I should have been paying better attention…to where I…was going…" He looks up in to my eyes, his voice trailing off as he begins to stare at my face.

I know it is because of my strange eyes but he too has unnatural eyes. Deep violet. A mixture of deep seated passion and a sweet innocence only known by creators of Heaven, if there is such a place. I lost my faith the day my brother and sisters died. Something breaks within me and the physical contact between us unlocks something inside of me. A long forgotten power that I never knew existed.

I am burning. My every nerve was on fire. I was losing all rational thought and the only thing that becomes real to me are those violet eyes before me, under me, all around me, threatening to swallow me whole. Why was this child the cause of such intense emotion? How could such a seemingly insignificant person cause this burning desire within me when no one ever had before, not even when I had been alive.

I was not giving him enough credit, though. There was something about him that no one else had.

Again, that burning emotion struck me. I have to push against this emotion before it consumes me completely. With each push, however, it pulls me back in. Each time deeper than before, the insanity threatening to drive me over the edge.

I need to break away before I lose myself completely. I drop the boy's wrist and sidestep, walking away from him with graceful steps before I glance back at him, pausing as I watch him standing there, a sedated look on his face. "You should be more careful, kid." Why? "There is a murdered out on the streets. You do not want to be killed at such a young age, trust me. Go home." I turn away from him as he turns to watch me leave. I continue down the street in search of my victim, the boy still on my mind.

Why did I spare him? He walked right in to my arms and I allowed him to walk away, he had even stayed in the same place I had pulled him in to long after I left him. I slam my fist in to a wall, almost breaking through to the other side. Was it because of that burning emotion he had made me feel? What was that? It was so intense. I have never felt anything like that before. I thought I was drowning in a crimson sea of…of what? Passion? Desire? Lust? Perhaps…could it possibly have been…love?

How could I love someone when I am dead? I have memory of loving my mother and my siblings but this emotion was different. It is so strong that I am afraid of it. I swallow and wipe the blood sweat from my brow. I need to try to forget about ever having met him. I turn the corner, walking in to a dark alley and lean against the wall, breathing in the night air deeply and exhaling it slowly, trying to clear my thoughts.

He was so small and…cute. I am not afraid to admit it because it certainly was true. I confess that I had experimented with people of the same sex when I was alive and I am not so pompous that I would not admit my own feelings to myself. Who would hear them? It was not as if I was going to run after that boy or start stalking him. I drop my head in to my hand. The only reason he stared at me was because of my eyes. They were placing him under a trance, perhaps.

Why had that boy awakened these emotions, though? It makes no sense that just touching his wrist or staring in to his eyes would have caused such strong emotions to burn inside me. Had he felt it as well? Did he know that he had inspired those burning emotions inside me, ignited by his touch? I am a coldhearted monster now, there is no way that just touching him, gazing in to his eyes would have caused that emotion. Maybe I am sick. However, for as long as I have been "alive" as a vampire I have never once contracted an illness. It could be a mental thing. After all these years, I have finally lost it. That was possible, but I can feel that I am quite sane.

Footsteps echo in the alleyway and I turn, seeing a drunken men walking toward me. I narrow my eyes, placing the young man in a trance as I move slowly towards him, the man frozen by my spell. He is probably never going to think about me again and for some reason, that makes me angry. I grab the man by his neck and threw him against the nearby wall, pinning him against it as I lift him up off his feet. Once again, my upper lip curls back as my fangs slide out and I sink them in to the man's throat, pull them away and place my lips to the man's neck, sucking at the blood pouring from the opening.

I am acting childish. The blood is clearing my mind, even though the alcohol that the man was drinking is carried in the blood, now pumping through my own veins. Again, I bite down on my tongue and heal the wound with my blood before I allow the man to drop to the ground before his heart stops. I cut his wrists with my pocketknife and walk out of the alley, my eyes half lidded as I slide my hands in to my pockets and continue down the streets, not caring where I my feet take me. I should not have killed in anger. It was foolish of me. At least I was not angry enough to forget about cleaning up my mess.

I am sure that the vampire hunters here are aware of my presence but as long as I keep making it look as if the people have committed suicide, they have no real reason to come after me. I still need more time here. Once I get what I came here for, I can leave. However, I still am not so sure that I will find any information on my maker here in Sendai. There are very few vampires here and vampires are what I need to find out my creator's whereabouts. I need to know if he has been creating other vampires, that way they could most likely lead me to him. However, if they did not give him what he wanted from them, he would either leave them without notice or destroy them on the spot.

I pause when I find a familiar door blocking my path. It seems that I had unknowingly walked back to my house. I sigh and unlock the door with a wave of my hand, not wanting to bother with the lock. I move slowly inside, pulling my trench coat off and throwing it on the coat hanger before walking in to the living room, dropping down in to the couch and turning on the television. A young woman's voice comes on and she begins to speak. Obviously, she is a reporter. I can hear it in her voice. _"There has been another murder tonight. A young man by the name of Takamori Shinichi. We are here at the scene of the crime with a teenager who saw the murderer."_

I sit up at this and stare at the screen, thinking that it might have been the teenager who ran in to me before I killed that man. It was not him. It was a young girl, almost in her twenties. How could she have seen me? I would have sensed her. _"Can you tell us what he looked like, ma'am?"_

_"Yes, he has shaggy white-blonde hair and really pale skin. He was about six-foot-one and, even though I did not get a very good look at him, he looked to be about in his late teens." _Said the girl, looking a little frightened. I narrow my eyes at the girl. I had been too careless tonight, all because my mind was too distracted by that boy. He was still on my mind even now. I lay back on the couch and continue to watch the television, wondering if they would say anything else.

_"The police are going to be on the lookout for people who match that description."_ Good luck with that. A lot of teenagers around my physical age match that description. If the woman had gotten a better look at me, though, I would have been in trouble with the police. I miss the old days when killing people was so easy and no one worried too much when someone suddenly turned up dead. Plague and sickness was not uncommon and people just died a lot. Now, people make a big deal about it. I need to start being more careful from now on.

Sighing, I turn my head away from the screen and close my eyes, a perfect image of that boy forming in my mind. So very strange. Who could he possibly be?

-TBC-

A little short but I couldn't think of what else to do. I need to make everything happen in the fourth chapter so I can start getting Robin a little more active in his chapters. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Happy Father's Day!


	4. Truth be Told

**Dark Love**

**By**: Padfoot-chan

I am in the same boat as everyone else. My father hates gay people and people who like gays. There were these woman talking about it on the television and he called them sick. He should meet some of my friends, I have this flaming gay guy friend…who I love and adore :3 because he's funny as fluff…and he would scare the living fluff out of my father. Scared it out of me more than once. Also, thanks for the wonderful reviews, everyone :3 They always make my day 3

Sorry about the long delay on this. I was getting out the ideas and outline for this chapter as fast I as could and then the **Ghost! **Manga volume three got in the way. This is longer than the other chapters so I hope that made up for it.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Golden Sun characters. They belong to Camelot.

**Warning**: Shonen-ai has landed! Run for the hills, it's going to get pretty intense from here on out :3 You know I'll be loving ever minute of it too evil laughter Time to corrupt some children. Sorry, I'm rebelling against all yaoi-haters as much as I possibly can.

This chapter is dedicated to all my wonderful reviewers of **Dark Love**. I love you guys! You're the best :3 Read and Review please! Oh, and about the picture…I'll try to fix it as soon as I find the time. Most of the free time goes into working on this or thinking up more ideas for it XD

**Chapter 4**: Truth be Told

I stumble into my darkened room and clap my hands twice, turning the lights on before leaning out the doorway and waving to Garcia and Picard as they wonder off down the hallway to their bedroom. Turning back around and closing the door behind me, I spot my bag sitting at the foot of my bed, my laptop sitting on a small desk in the corner of the room, and about three or four boxes set in front of a large mahogany dresser. My mother must have sent my things here while I was in China.

That pillow fight we had a couple of minutes back really woke me up so I might as well do something to get me sleepy. I flop back onto my new bed, grabbing a book from the dresser as I go. I grab the silver remote control off the bed and turn the television on as I open my book, lying on my bed with my feet on the pillow.

_"The police say that Takamori Shinichi was a criminal in league with one of Japan's biggest crime lords. Even though it looks like a suicide, Takamori's death was in fact a murder. It is quite similar to the other cases that were at first thought to be suicide cases but a young woman has informed police that she saw a young man walking away from the scene of the crime earlier."_ I look away from my book at this and stare at the screen upside-down. _"Police around Sendai are on the lookout for a man in his late teens with white-blonde hair, pale skin and is around six-foot-one. If you encounter this man, do not confront him. Call police immediately. He is thought to be armed and dangerous."_

I flip over onto my chest, nibbling on my bottom lip thoughtfully. A young man in his late teens…six-foot-one…with white-blonde hair and pale skin? I am almost five-foot-six now and that man that I ran into this evening was a little over six-foot. He fit the description perfectly but he seemed so sad, almost as if he had lost something very important to him. It could not possible have been him. He was…somewhat nice to me and he made me feel so lightheaded.

My heart starts to pound faster as I form an image of the man in my mind. I sit up quickly, touching one hand to my cheek to feel that my face has grown hot again. I fall forward onto my pillow, hugging it close to my chest as I toss the book haphazardly back onto the dresser. His eyes…those were what I remember the most about him. They were a piercing, pale blue, almost unearthly in their beauty, just as he had been. Strange…normally my mind does not linger on one person for so long, especially if it was someone I had just met. There was something else. He did not seem human. Why was that? Who was he?

As my eyes begin to lull, I fumble around for the remote and turn the television off, clap my hands twice over my head to turn off the lights and flop down onto my bed again as I drift off into sleep.

--

Strong hands grasp my shoulders gently from behind and he pulls me to his chest, my head leaning back against his shoulder. His hands drift down from my shoulders, slowly fingering the buttons of my shirt. One of his hands trails down my chest before moving to my hand, our fingers entwining as he presses his lips to my cheek. "Are you so sure that you can love someone like me?" he whispers into my ear, his voice full of pain.

I turn around at this, gazing up into his pale blue eyes for a long moment, making sure that he knew I was looking at him and not just his eyes and then I grab the back of his neck with my free hand, pulling him down into a heated kiss. He hesitates to return the action until he finally gives into the motion, looping his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

I feel his tongue begin to dance along my bottom lip as he lets go of my hand, brining his newly freed hand up to cradle the side of my face. He parts my lips with his tongue to deepen the kiss as he pushes me back toward his bed. The back of my knees hit the edge of the bed and he continues to push me until I am lying on my back with him on top of me, neither of us ever breaking the kiss.

He removes his hand from my waist and begins to undo the buttons of my shirt as I tangle my fingers into his hair wanting to pull him closer. He pushes his tongue deeper into my mouth before he finally breaks away, his breaths coming out in ragged gasps as he gazes down at me, something new burning in his eyes.

"I hope that answers your question." I whisper, smiling up at him. He pushes my bangs out of my eyes, stroking my cheek with the back of his hand. "Will you make a promise to me?" He leans down, kissing my forehead lovingly before making a reply.

"Anything, my sweet angel, anything you ask. You have only to name it and it shall be yours in a heartbeat."

"Please…stay with me. I love you more than anything and I only want to be with you, _please_…" He smiles and leans down again, pressing his lips to mine in a gentle, chaste kiss and he begins to whisper to me, his lips moving against mine as he mouths three words.

"_I am yours._"

--

A loud knocking cuts into my dream and I sit up quickly, throwing myself off my bed and onto the floor. My cheeks are hot with the embarrassment of throwing myself out of my own bed and also the memory of the last nights dream coming back to me with such clarity that I am surprised to see I still have my clothes on.

The door creaks open and Jasmine pokes her head in, probably checking to see if I am dressed. She smirks when she spots me on the floor before pushing the door open further and entering the room. She crosses the large room in a few strides before pausing at the window and throwing the curtains open and letting the morning sunlight burst through the window, illuminating the room. I groan and throw my arm up to shield my eyes from the sudden bright light. "Ivan, dear heart, may I ask you what you are doing on the floor?"

"You…uh…just startled me, that's all." I climb to my feet, swaying slightly and leaning back against the dresser behind me. Jasmine makes her way toward me and smiles again. I arch an eyebrow at her as she continues to stare at me with a curious smile. "What? Have I got something on my face?" She nods and I quickly spin around to look at the mirror that is connected to the dresser. I finds that I am still blushing, profusely so. I bow my head and she pats my shoulder good-naturedly.

"So, what's up, Ivan? Have a wet dream or something?" I stagger away from her, my face heating up more than before as I drop onto the floor again, tripping over my stumbling feet.

"N-no! Jasmine, how could you say such a thing?" Oh, God, someone just shoot me now and get this embarrassment over with before she finds out I am bi. She waves a finger in my face, making a tutting noise in her mouth before she continues.

"It is perfectly normal for a boy of your-"  
  
"I did not have a perverted dream, Jasmine!" I yell before she can finish her parental speech. At first she looks taken aback but then she lets out a sigh, folding her arms over her chest and tapping her foot on the ground. I climb back to my feet and sit down on the edge of my bed, staring at my bare feet as I swing them back and forth in front of me until I feel Jasmine sit on my bed next to me.

"Some of the higher students in the academy are going to away for a little trip for a while. There is supposed to be this big, important uh…test in Nagasaki a week from now and we will are going to stay there for a couple of weeks afterwards. A week before to study up as much as we can and then we will stay there after the test to just goof off." She seems to be struggling with something, as if this was all just a façade to cover up a greater, more dangerous truth. She was acting like people were going to die at this test, a lot of special people to her. She brakes her fiery eyes from the wall and smiles at me, her natural 'I am just fine, do not worry about me. I'm supposed to be worrying around you.' Smile. I hate that smile. It makes me feel weak, as if there is nothing I can do to help out one of my best friends. "Picard and my brother are going to stay behind and so will my parents. My parents have to of course; they are running the academy even if the students are going to be leaving. Anyway, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask one of them."

I nod to her and she pulls me into a quick hug, startling me. "Try not to do anything reckless while I am gone, got it, prodigy-boy?" There is something in her voice. Is she crying? "I swear, if I come back and find you have gone and gotten yourself raped and killed by some weirdo, I am going to kill whoever murdered you, bring you back to life and beat you up until you are black and blue all over and cannot move without feeling a blinding pain in every part of your body. Understand?" Her way of showing just how much she cares about me. Threaten me until I am too scared to leave my room without thinking 'Oh, shit, is Jasmine watching me from around the corner?'

I shake my head and smile at her as she pulls away, her eyes sparkling. "Yeah, I got it, Jasmine." She kisses my cheek and hops off my bed, smoothing out her skirt before dancing to the door. She curtsies to me when she reaches the doorway.

"Okay then, see you in a couple of weeks, kiddo. Make sure you stay cute as a button for me. I don't want to come back and find a hot, buff Fukui-boy has come to replace my baby." I roll my eyes as she pulls the door halfway closed. She pokes her head through the doorway before closing it all the way. "One more thing, prodigy-boy, remember, no sex before marriage!" 

I groan at her and throw a pillow at her face. Jasmine closes the door before it can hit her. I hear her laughter drifting down the hallway as she walks away. What does she think of me? Seriously, no sex before marriage. Was she trying to be my mother or something? I should be telling her and Gerald that. I bet they are going to have so many babies, they will not know what to do with themselves. I am not babysitting for them, that's for sure. I smile to myself before it turns into a weak smile when I remember something. Mother…

Speaking of my mother though…I would really like to see her. She was so weak and frail when I left for Sendai. I have not heard from her, she was so sick that she could not bring herself to talk on the phone to me. She was grief-stricken when she found out that her mother had passed away. I could not bring myself to tell her that it had been murder. I still do not think that I can tell her even now. I do not want to see what the thought of her mother being murdered would do to her.

I want to make sure that she is being taken care of. Our house is built right by the Sea of Japan. We live in a large lighthouse on the shore near the water because my mother had always loved the sea. She loved the creatures there, hearing a bird's song as they passed overhead. More than anything, though, she loved the smell and the sounds that the waves made as they crashed against the shore. That was why my father decided to build a lighthouse near the sea so that my mother could wake up each morning to the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks and smell the sea air.

My mother loved to tell me that story. How they had been going out for almost five years before my father took her out on a long drive, taking her to a city she was never able see before. My mother was originally from Morioka and her parents hated to travel so she never got to go to another town unless it was when her parents flew her to her grandparents' house, but that was in Hong Kong.

Mother told me how my father blindfolded her before they turned into a large plot of land near the sea and continued to talk about boring things, like how his works was going well and that someone had thrown a copier out the window—my mother was a very weird person, she thought that the moon was truly made out of cheese. She would believe just about anything someone told her and very little surprised her. My father lead her out of the car once he had parked and made her walk for a couple of steps before stopping her, spinning her around once to give her a quick kiss and then undid the blindfold. She said that it had been the third happiest day in her life. The first being when I was born and the second when my father asked her to marry him.

My father had built her a lighthouse, the same lighthouse that she lives in to this very day. She loves it so much. It is the only thing of my father that either of us have left. I remember when I was little, before my dad died how I used to wake up to the sound of his voice singing to my mother. My father had a strong voice and he loved to sing but he would only sing for family, no one else. He said it was his gift to the ones that he loved and no one else needed to hear him because it was enough that he made us happy and no one else mattered to him.

That was one of the things that had made my father such a great guy. Life can be cruel sometimes, taking the best of them when they are young. Instead of being sad and depressed all the time, moping about the place crying and bitching to people about how my father died, I smile because I know that is what he wants me to do. He told me so himself, before he left on the plane trip to China to visit my grandparents. He said that if anything ever happened to him, he did not want me to be sad or mourn over his death for the rest of my life. He said he loved my smile that I had my mother's smile and he never wanted to see that smile die just because of him.

For some reason, maybe it is because of what he said to me before he left, but I think he knew that he was not going to come back to my mother and me. He wanted us to be happy, though. That was always what he had wanted more than anything else in the world. When the news that my father's plane had crashed into a mountainside, the whole family took it pretty hard but more than anyone else, my mother had taken the news about my father's death the worst. She clung to me for almost a whole day. It was almost as if she felt that if she ever let go of me, I would disappear as well.

My aunt Hama, my father's sister, came to Fukui a few days after the funeral and offered to live with us, to look after me and my mother. She was a doctor and had planned to transfer to Fukui earlier so she could be closer to her family but when my father died, her plans were placed on hold until everything could be squared away. Hama is very nice. She taught me a lot of what I know now and I owe her a lot, especially for taking care of my mother in my absence. The older I got, the more I started taking care of my mother but when she sent me away to Sendai for a year, my mother became dependent on Hama once more.

I sigh and run my fingers through my hair, trying to comb out the tangles. Oh well, no reason to think about something that happened a long time ago. There is nothing I can do to change things and as for taking care of my mother…she wants me here now and all I can do is honor her wishes by staying here in the academy and learning as much from the teachers as I can. I should at least do something productive while the other students are gone for a couple of weeks. For starters, I should get my things unpacked.

I slide off my bed and drop back onto the floor, crawling over to the nearest box and peeling the duck tape from the top of the box. Pulling it open, I find some of my clothes folding nearly inside the box. There are clothes in the next two boxes as well. I lift myself onto my knees and begin putting my clothes in my dresser, mildly wondering just how my mother was able to get so many clothes into those tiny boxes. I get to my feet once I fill the bottom drawers with my clothes and as I open the top drawer, my toe brushes against another box, this one smaller than the rest.

I push the drawer close after I set the last of my clothes inside and kneel down in front of the box, pulling it open. Three framed pictures are lying inside of the small box, each of which had been on my dresser at home. The first one is of my mother and father on their wedding day, standing near a serene lake surrounded by blooming sakura trees. I smile down at the picture before placing it on top of my dresser and turning to the next picture. It is an old picture of my mother when she was younger. She is standing in front of a temple with my grandmother and grandfather standing on either side of her, holding her hands and lifting her up into the air. I shake my head laughing and put the picture across from the first one. I turn back to the box and smirk at the last picture before pulling it out into the light. This picture was taken a couple of years after my father's death. I am standing with my back against my cousin, Susa's, both of us looking like complete idiots in the kimonos Hama had made us. Hama is standing behind us, her hands on our shoulders and a look on her face that might say to us 'laugh and I'll tickle you to the ground right here'. I have not seen Susa in a while now; I really should give him a call sometime.

I pull myself to my feet and stack the boxes on top of each other before placing them in the closet and glancing back at the digital clock sitting on the table next to my bed. That killed about two and a half hours. Now what to do for the rest of the day? I grab some clean clothes out of my dresser, head out of my room and to the bathroom that Garcia showed me last night. No one else seems to be awake so I tiptoe to the bathroom as quietly and quickly as I possibly can.

I slip into the bathroom and lock the door behind me. Tossing my clothes onto the counter, I remove my clothes silently and turn the shower on, stepping inside once the water warms up. I step under the showerhead, letting the lukewarm water soak my hair. It is always the same when I shower, I have to think of something else, anything else as long as it does not pertain to showering. The only think that seemed to be of any real interest to me was that dream. Why would I have a dream like that about some guy that I just met? I barely thought about him last night because of that whole pillow fight Gerald had started. I have never met anyone with eyes that color, though. They seemed so surreal. I shake the water out of my eyes and put some shampoo on my hand before working in through my hair, a little too roughly.

His motions were too fluid, too graceful to belong to that of someone of his age. His speech…he was definitely not from Japan but he spoke it fluently. There was a faint hint of…British to his accent but it was very hard to recognize.

I lean back, letting the water wash the suds out of my hair. That dream seems so real and the room that we were standing in…I have never seem a place like that before. I lean my shoulder against the shower wall, the water running into my eyes as I stare at the dark curtains. I wonder if I am ever going to be able to see him again. I bet he thought I was pretty stupid last night, running into him and then staring at him like some lovesick ditz. Oh, God! That was so impolite of me. I…I need to apologize for doing that! Mother told me never to stare at people. I cannot leave that between us. I could go around and look for him after I finish taking a shower and eating breakfast.

I smile to myself, my stomach fluttering with the thought of being able to see him again. Even though it was discourteous, I did like being able to look into his eyes, even if it was for only a short while. He is probably the kind of person he likes to go out at night, he was quite pale, so I should try looking for him tonight. As I work the conditioner into my hair, I try to figure out how much time that gave me before I could start looking for him. A little under six hours before sunset. I sigh and rinse out my hair. I turn off the water and step out of the shower, grabbing a towel to dry off with.

I run the towel through my hair, my mind drifting to more practical matters. Would Garcia and Picard actually let me run around Sendai looking for someone I had ran into. They would, of course, want to come with me to make sure that I was not murdered. For some reason, though, I don't feel as if I have anything to worry about from the murderer. On the news last night, a little after they had given the description of the murderer, the reporter had said that the killer was only going after people who had committed murders themselves. It sounded like the act of some sort of vigilante to me. A vigilante who had taken this a little too far but still…it was just like the old laws of an ancient king. An eye for an eye and a life for a life.

I hang my towel up and begin to dress. As long as the killer is still out, they are not going to allow me to leave the house alone, especially during the night so I have no choice but to let them accompany me on my search. Maybe that way, he won't be too harsh with me when I go to apologize for what happened last night again. When I finally pull my shirt over my head, I glance in the mirror to make sure my hair is neat before walking out of the bathroom. It still does not sound as if anyone is awake yet, but this house is big so someone could be downstairs already.

I wonder down the stairs and enter the kitchen to find Garcia's mother already there, cooking. Garcia is leaning against the counter near his mother, engaged in conversation with Picard who is sitting at the kitchen table, smiling at him. "I am still worry about Jasmine. She has not been on a mission without…" Garcia stops in the middle of his sentence when Picard turns to me. He follows Picard's eyes and freezes when spots me standing in the doorway.

"Good morning, Ivan." Smiles Picard, waving to me, "We were just talking about the students leaving for Nagasaki this morning to take that test." I look at Garcia to see if this is true but he turns away from me before I can catch his eye. "I trust that you slept well? I hope that no one woke you up. They were making such a ruckus this morning, Garcia had to get out of bed this morning and yell at them to keep it down." I smile as Picard starts to laugh at the look on Garcia's face.

"Actually, Jasmine served as my wakeup call this morning." I say, sitting at the table in the chair across from Picard. "She told me about the trip and how they would be in Nagasaki for a couple of weeks." We fall into an uncomfortable silence at this. I tap my feet along the ground, listening to the sizzling of whatever Garcia's mother is cooking.

Suddenly off-key singing drifts down the hallway toward us and Garcia's father enters the kitchen, breaking the tension in the air, still singing a strange little tune about turtles. He ruffles my hair, pats Picard on the shoulder and then hugs his wife around the waist, kissing her on the cheek happily. "Have the three of you planned on doing anything today?" he asks, smiling back at us. Garcia and Picard look at each other before turning to me. Great. They are going to want me to play third wheel. I do not want to ruin their "alone time" by tagging along with them.

"Well, Picard and I were planning on going out, we haven't gotten a chance to just go around walking the park or something in a long time. If Ivan does not have anything he wants to do here, we were thinking that we could take him around, show him some of the new sights." Smiles Garcia, winking at me. Whoever does not think Garcia is a nice guy deserves to have their head dunked in a toilet bowl. "We could head over to the Shinto Shrine and get some good luck charms or ask one of the itako to channel one of the dead." Picard rolls his eyes playfully at this.

"Oh, that's so romantic. Sounds just like our first date, Garcia." We laugh as Garcia makes hurt face, putting his hand to his heart.

"I happen to think that I am romantic enough for the both of us, thank you very much." Picard shakes his head, smiling as he turns away from Garcia and smiles at me.  
  
"What do you think, Ivan? Could you stand to humor us for a couple of hours? We promise to make it worth your while." I laugh and nod. It would be nice to spend time with them again.

When we finish breakfast, I return to my room for half an hour before boredom drives me downstairs again. I wander into the common room to see Picard lying down on one of the couches, his legs hanging off the arm of the couch as he holds a book in front of his face, golden eyes moving down the lines of the pages quickly. I watch him for a moment longer, an idea popping into my mind before I lose my nerve and start to walk out of the room again. "Do you want to talk about something, Ivan?" I pause with my hand on the door, looking back to see Picard lifting himself onto this elbows. "If something is bothering you, kiddo, you should get it off your chest." I let out a sigh and walk over to him, dropping onto the couch next to him. "It isn't like you to brood so much. What's up?"

I blush faintly, bowing my head so Picard cannot see my face as he readjusts himself in his seat, pushing his ponytail off his shoulder. "Well…you see, I met this guy the other night, when I went out for a walk and…well, it's kind of embarrassing to say this but when I looked into his eyes, it was as if time had suddenly stopped all around us. I felt lightheaded and my heart started to race. I don't know why either. I mean, I just met him last night and I don't even know his name or anything…Plus, I feel sort of guilty because I bumped into him and started to stare…"

I look up at Picard and watch him carefully, searching his eyes for what he thought about it when he smiles at me. "Well, it sounds to me like love at first sight." I blush and open my mouth to say that that is so cliché but nothing seems to want to come out. "You know," he continues, saving me, "that is how Garcia and I ended up with each other. I was worried that I was just being shallow, that I did not like him for him at all but that was only for a fleeting moment. I could sense something deeper inside of him, that there was more to it than just his looks. I knew he felt it as well." He smiles and sighs reminiscently before he ruffles my hair fondly, something I can remember my father doing when I was confused or frustrated by something that continued to elude me even after hours of concentration on that one thing. "But only you know what you want or what is good for you. I cannot tell you what to do, what you should feel. Just do not bottle your feelings up inside or hide them from yourself, because even if you think what you are doing is going to protect him, you will only end up hurting yourself, maybe him as well. Have hope that everything will work itself out in the end. Do not wait too long, though. You do not have forever in this world. No one does." He nods to me and rises from the couch. "Garcia wants to leave in half an hour, do you think you can be ready by then? There are a lot of things he wants us to do today. Sorry to say but he can be such a brat sometimes. Always wants things to do the way he planned them to."

"That's okay." I whisper, his words are still on my mind. "I'll go get ready now." I jump off the couch and run past him, hurrying up the many stairs to my room. What did he mean by those words? Talking to him just confused me even more.

I look over at the picture of my mother and father, smiling lovingly. I doubt I am ever going to run into him again anyway. Sendai is a crowded city and I do not even know where to begin to look for him. I rub my arm, letting out a tiered sigh. Well, there is no use it worrying about someone I might never see again. I should forget about him and get on with my life. I am still young, besides, I doubt that he is even into guys. That sucks. I laugh to myself, grabbing my wallet and shoving it into my pocket and then hopping out of my room.

I start to walk down the steps when a strong pair of hands grab me from behind, one arm curled around my stomach and the hand of the other arm covering my mouth so I do not make a sound. The owner of those arms turns me around and I spot Garcia standing there in the hallway. I sigh, as he lets go of me, running my fingers through my hair to comb it back. "What's up, Garcia?" He waves his hand, walking past me and heading down the carpeted stairs.

"Oh, nothing. I just felt like scaring you. Are you ready to go?" I turn around, lifting an eyebrow at him before hurrying after him, muttering a quick yes as I caught up with him. "I hear the fair is in town, it sounds like fun, do you want to check that out?" I nod.

"If you and Picard want to go there, of course." He ruffles my hair, laughing at me.  
  
"You are too polite for your own good, Ivan, you know that?" We reach the entrance hall where we find Picard already slipping his jacket over his shoulders. He smiles as Garcia kisses his cheek, fixing the collar of his leather jacket so that it is standing up. "There, that look better." He teases, patting his shoulders. Picard rolls his eyes and hands me my coat.

"Come on, we need to get to the shrine before the sunsets. You said that you wanted to go to the fair, right, Garcia?" Garcia nods as the three of us head out the door, moving down the driveway and out the front gates. "We can do that after we go to the shrine then."

We do just as Picard said. We went out to one of the Shinto shrines, each of us buying one of the good luck charms from the shrine maiden and after a quick debate whether or not we should ask the itako to channel someone for us, we head off to the fair shortly after. I have never been to a fair with Garcia and Picard before, but it is great seeing two people about three or so years older than me running around like they are kids in a candy store.

"Ah! Let's go on this ride, Ivan!" Garcia grabs onto my arm and starts to pull me towards a ride called 'The Scrambler' but Picard grabs onto my other arm, pulling me toward a different ride called 'The Starship'.

"No, I want to go on this one over here! See? It's bigger and faster than the one you want to ride, Garcia." Garcia puffs up his cheeks, poking Picard in the side.  
  
"So? I want to go on this one. Which one, Ivan?" I back up, laughing nervously as they turn to me, wanting me to decide for them. 

"Well…eh heh…" We spent three hours running around the fairgrounds, making sure that we rode all the rides that they had there at least twice before we left, both Picard and Garcia carrying giant stuffed animals they had won. I carried a giant, multicolored snake with giant eyes around my neck, laughing as the two men next to me debated where to go next.

"I wanted to check out that café that just opened up a couple of blocks away from the academy. We can stop them on our way home." Suggested Picard, leaning forward slightly to make sure that he did not drop any of the stuffed animals he was carrying. "And it isn't too far from here."

"Sounds good to me. I'm tiered from keeping up with the two of you. It is just like trying to keep up with a couple of four-year-olds on a major sugar high." I laugh as Garcia playfully bops me on the back of my head with a small pink rabbit he had 'won' as a consolation prize. "I told you we had not been out in a while. I was more surprised when you told me that you've never been on The Scrambler." He comments. I shrug my shoulders.  
  
"Mom never took me out to the fair, either she was too busy or too weak. I did go to one a while back with Susa but we didn't go on a lot of rides when we were there." I scratch the back of my head and glance at my left wrist, yawning when I see the time. "We've been gone for a long time. Are you parents going to be worried, Garcia?" He shook his head. 

"No, they knew we might be out a little late. It's cool." Picard points over to a small café down the street, almost dropping the items in his arms. He apologizes quickly as Garcia catches them for him.

"There's the café. Ah, good it's still open. Hurry, we don't want them to close before we get there."

We race down the rest of the street, seeing who could reach the café first. I burst through the door before Picard and Garcia, skidding to a half before I can run into the waitress standing there, a little surprised to see my hurry. Picard and Garcia ran through the door after me, Picard managing to stop before slamming into me. Garcia is not so lucky. His heel slips on the rug and he grabs onto Picard to keep himself from falling to the ground, but catches Picard off guard and only manages to take him down to ground with him, a dozen or more stuffed animals flying into the air after them. The waitress blinks at them before giggling, her laughter brightening her yellow-brown eyes. Picard grabs one of the stuffed pandas and starts hitting Garcia with it as they both apologize to the waitress for the ruckus. "I don't think you hitting Garcia on the head with a stuffed panda is going to help matters much, Picard." The only reward for this I get is Picard throwing the panda in my face.

"It's quite all right." Laughs the waitress, bowing to us respectfully, "This is my parents café and all of our customers have left already. The night customers should be coming in soon. Let me show you to a table." After Picard and Garcia manage pick themselves from the floor, gathering their stuffed animals with them we follow the waitress to one of the tables near a window overlooking the street outside. She hands us three menus before walking off to get us hot coco.

"She seems pretty nice, a little young to be a waitress, though." Comments Garcia, looking at the menu. I lean out of the booth, watching the girl as she gives the order to a man.

"Actually, she looks around my age." I mutter before looking down at my own menu, wondering what I should order. This is the part I hate about going out with my friends. They always pay for it so I try to find the cheapest thing on the menu, no matter what it is, so they don't have to pay too much for me. I look down the menu, searching the prices for the cheapest thing they made.

"What's up, Picard?" asks Garcia, breaking me away from my searching. I peer over my menu and look at Picard, noticing that he was staring down at the cover of his menu. He had not even touched it since the waitress laid it down in front of him. Picard looks up and smiles, waving his hand in hopes to make us stop worrying about him.

"I'm fine, I was just a little tiered from running around the fair today." Garcia hesitates for a moment but lets it go. Something tells me that he is going to continue this conversation with Picard in private. I lift my menu up to my face, using it to hide my yawn as the waitress returns carrying three cups of steaming hot coco.

"Here you go. Have you decided what you want yet?" We shake our heads and she continues to smile, "That's all right. When you have decided what you want, I'll be right over there." She bows to us again and walks off to the other side of the café, sitting in one of the chairs at the bar.

I zone out as Garcia starts to tell Picard and me what looks good on the menu. I turn away from them and look out the window, watching some of the people pass by. I yawn again, blinking sleepily when someone catches my eye. I sit upright, my eyes widening in shock as I stare at the man passing by. It's him. A bored look on his face as he walks past the café, his hands slipping into the pockets of his leather jacket. I jump up, startling Garcia and Picard. "I-I'll be right back, I just need to check something out." Before they can stop me, I run out of the café, looking around before heading off in the direction I saw the man headed.

I see him turn into an alley after someone else, my heart stopping slightly as I slow my run to a walk. I edge around the wall, leaning around it and widening my eyes in shock again as I see him pushing a man against a wall. The heat rises in my face and I turn to run back to the café when something stops me. His lips curl back and twice, razor-sharp fangs slide out of his mouth. Oh God. I run forward, slamming into him. He seems unaffected as I stumbled backward from the force and fall onto the ground.

He turns to look at me slowly, a gasp escaping his lips when he spots me sitting the floor ground. He backs away from the man slightly, removing his hands from the man's shoulders and moving toward me. I look up at him as he holds my eyes with his own. Hundreds of emotions pass through his eyes as he drops down to his knees slowly, one of his hands moving to cradle my cheek. I let out a soft gasp, a mixture of surprise and something else when his hand touches my cheek. Flashes of my dream come back to me and I blush more, wanting to break the contact between our eyes but I cannot pull away now. "I…I wanted to…um…"

He watches me, studying me as his other hand moves up slowly, his fingers touching my hair uncertainly before traveling down my face. He watches my reaction as he runs the pads of his fingers over my lips, most likely wondering what I would do. "So strange." He whispers to me, his voice slightly husky, but it still carries that smooth note that makes my stomach flutter. "You sought me out after one meeting. What do you want from me?"

"I…uh…" He keeps his fingers on my lips, making it difficult for me to speak. I swallow and go to say something. My heartbeat is speeding up and my breath is becoming labored. This is strange. This is the first time anyone has made me feel like this. It is as Picard says? Am I in love with this man? "I…wanted to know your name." I whisper without thinking about the consequences of my actions. I need to know his name. I cannot continue to think about him without even knowing his name.

He hesitates for a moment, his hands still lingering on my face before he blinks at me. Was I too abrupt? Was I too forward with my question? Does he really hate me now? I should not have stared at him but I cannot help myself, he makes me feel so strange. "Robin." I blink, a little surprised that he would actual tell me his name. It takes me a couple of seconds to clarify that he just told me his name. "And you would be?"

"I-Ivan. My name is Ivan." He nods simply and continues to watch me, his eyes never leaving mine. He lightly trails his fingers down my lips, touching my chin before his hand moves to my shirt, feeling the fabric there. I swallow again. I am enjoying this way too much. I bite down on my bottom lip to keep from saying anything else, anything that might embarrass me more than I already am. A small smile tugs at the corners of his lips when he sees me biting my bottom lip but it disappears when I hear footsteps echoing behind me.

He looks up and narrows his eyes, rising from the ground and backing away from me. I turn around and see Garcia and Picard running toward us, both of them freezing in place when they spot Robin standing a few paces away from me. I feel the men around me tense up for a moment before Garcia speaks, "Did he hurt you, Ivan?" there is an edge to his voice that is normally not there. I shiver in spite of myself at the tone in his voice and shake my head in reply, unable to make my voice cooperate. What is going on? Why is Garcia so angry?

Suddenly Garcia is between me and Robin. When did he move? I turn quickly to watch as Garcia and Robin glare at each other, neither moving. Picard drops to the ground next to me, his hands on my shoulders as I hear his voice in my ear. I do not hear what he says, just the sound of his voice like a dull, meaningless buzzing in my ear as I continue to watch the two men in front of me. What is going on here? It is as if they are in an intense mental battle, the loser being the one to break away from the stare first. Picard lifts me to my feet and holds onto my shoulders, keeping me rooted in the spot.

"I know what you are." Whispers Garcia after a long moment. Nothing changes on Robin's face, he merely continues to stare at Garcia as if nothing had been said. "You may be able to fool Ivan, you may have been able to place your demonic spell on him but it will not work on myself." He takes a step towards Robin. Still nothing changes on his face, no emotion in his eyes. "Tell me, how many people is it now? Do you even know anymore? You are the oldest one I have met but even so, I cannot allow you to just go and continue this blasphemy." Robin bows his head slightly, before letting out a cold laugh, the sound piercing into the strangely silent night.

"Blasphemy? You dare to speak of blasphemy to someone like myself? Do you truly believe that I am doing something so wrong that you would put such an audacious title on it?" His shoulders shakes with his laughter before he points past Garcia and myself to Picard. "Would you rather me become like him? I am surprised that the strain of the thirst has not driven him to insanity yet. It is what we are, child, we cannot fight it no more than you can fight breathing. We cannot fight it regardless of what gets in the way." He drops his hand back to his side. "You are only hurting him by allowing this to continue. You call that love? Do you want to lose him? Watch him wither away before you?" I look back at Picard as he closes his eyes and turns his head to the side. Garcia turns back to look at him, surprise flashing in his russet eyes. Robin's eyes soften for a moment as he continues to speak, "Of course you did not know. So simple…"

Garcia spins around again, glaring at Robin, his shoulders shaking with his anger. "Shut up." He seethes, "You know nothing about this. You are nothing like him. You are a cold, heartless monster and you do not deserve to walk this earth any longer." Garcia pulls out a thin dagger and in a blink of the eye, has it pressed against Robin's neck. I gasp, reaching out to stop him but Picard's grip on my shoulders tightens, stopping me from moving from the spot. Robin narrows his eyes again, grabbing Garcia's wrist, making him push the blade deeper, the edge biting into his neck. I fight against Picard's hands, trying to push him off but his grip is too strong. I want to turn my eyes away from the sight of the blood dripping from the wound but Robin turns his eyes to me and catches my eyes with his, holding them once again. Even though they look dead, emotionless on the outside, like a star that has lost its spark long ago, I can feel sadness there, mingles with just a bit of hope.

"You have no right to say that to me. You think I enjoy this life? I was human once too, you know. We all were." What is this? "It is far worse for the old ones." He releases Garcia's wrist and Garcia stumbles back as Robin places a hand to his neck, touching the thick crimson liquid there. "I tried to starve myself once. I grew weaker, dizzier. Any kind of light would hurt my eyes. I began to hear voices all around me. I lost my mind to those voices. You truly think that young one is strong enough to fight it off to remain with you? Just wait and see how long he can hold on."

"Don't go anywhere near Ivan again, do you hear me?" hisses Garcia as Robin turns away, pausing at the scathing tone in Garcia's voice. He glances back at him, studying him for a moment before replying.

"That is for him to decide, hunter. If you worry about him so much, tell him not to seek me out. As for me not seeking him out…you are not my keeper. Until you understand what I have said to you tonight, you have no right to consider yourself my equal. I am far above you, child. You had better grow up before you are killed like your other hunter friends." After saying this, Robin walks down the alley, disappearing around the corner. I hold out my hand to try to stop him, try to call out for him, but my voice still is not cooperating with me. This is all too confusing. What is going on here?

I bow my head as Garcia turns around. "I think…there is something that you need to explain to me." I whisper, making him stop. Picard squeezes my shoulders once before nodding to Garcia behind him.

"He is right, Garcia. We can no longer keep this from him. It may not be our place but he is in danger now. His mother would agree with us telling him now. Why else would she have sent him here for so long? Two years is the training time for someone of Ivan's intelligence, it was as if she was planning on telling him." I glance back at Picard, furrowing my brow. He shakes his head. "Let's go back to the academy first. We can answer all of your questions here, right, Garcia?" I turn back to Garcia to see him nod solemnly.

"I guess it is time that we told him the truth."

We stop at the café to gather our things before we leave, the waitress saying goodnight to us as we walk through the door. I feel numb all over. My mind is racing with so many questions whose answers I cannot even begin to think of. Only one thing comforts me. I know his name now. Robin. I bring my hand up to my lips, lightly tracing the pad of my thumb along my lips.

I am so confused now. What is going on? Picard said that my mother would agree with them telling me now. Telling me what? They were keeping something from me. What are they not telling me? What are they hiding from me?

When we return to the academy, Garcia and Picard lead me into the common room. Picard pushes me into a chair as he and Garcia sit next to each other on the couch. "Mother and Father must have gone out for dinner." Mumbles Garcia, rubbing the back of his head as he looks around the room for something to stare at before he can answer my questions. I need to know everything now.

"Why did you lie to me? What is going on here? I want to know the truth. I think I deserve that after tonight, after that little…conversation with Robin." Garcia stops his search, sighs and turns to Picard before he looks at me. I do not look into his eyes, instead, I stare at the fire burning in the fireplace, the brilliant flames dancing before my eyes. The fires of Hell. Ultimate purification of the soul. Burning the sins away, punishing the soul for the crimes they have committed in life. Forever burning in death.

"We did not lie to you, Ivan. We were just keeping things for you because your mother did not want this life for you. She did not want to place you in danger." Replied Picard when Garcia had to spoken. "And you are right, you need to know the truth so that you can avoid the danger that you have fallen into." He turns to Garcia, giving him a look before Garcia takes a deep breath.

"The best place to start this off would be from the beginning." He starts slowly, turning his eyes up to the ceiling. I look away from the fire and watch him. "You understand that you and I are related, correct?" I nod, not knowing what that had to do with anything. He sighs again, "What I am about to tell you may confuse you…it may even scare you, but please do not overreact. As Picard said before, your mother did not want me or anyone else for that matter to tell you of this. But again, there had to be some reason why she sent you here to live at the academy for so long.

"Ivan, our family…is very special. You can trace our family line back for centuries, back to the time of the first vampire." My breath catches in my throat, and I recall the image of Robin's lips curling back, those two fangs flashing in the moonlight before I had stopped him. "I suppose you could say that our family was created for the sole purpose of becoming vampire hunters. Not everyone in our family had the ability to become a hunter. It was our family that became the first hunters. There were always vampires, though. Our work was never over.

"That was when my great-great-great-grandfather, your great-great-great grandmother's brother, built the mansion. It was his way of fighting back against the growing vampire threat. He would seek out special people with the abilities of a hunter, be it healing, tracking, or slaying. He wanted to hone in on their abilities and turn out strong hunters who could fight against the vampires or at least protect themselves against the vampires if they were ever attacked.

"I am one of the vampire hunters, Ivan. A slayer, which means I kill them if I find them." He pauses for a moment, "You are a hunter as well. That test you took when you were here last time, it was not an entrance exam like we told you. It was to see if you had any abilities. You do have powers, one of the strongest for someone your age. Your mother did not want to place you in any danger by becoming one of us so she asked us not to tell you about the true purpose behind the academy. To you, it was just some prep school for college."

"And…and what is Picard? Is he a hunter as well? Robin said…" Garcia cuts me off before I can say anymore.

"Picard is a vampire, just like Robin." Garcia looks to Picard for a moment before he continues, "Picard was the first vampire I met. We were both considered new at what we were, it was so awkward. I was mad at myself at first for falling in love with him but Picard is different from the other vampires I have met. He is still so human…sometimes I forget that he is a vampire."

"I joined the hunters to help out because it hated what I had to do…I really had no right to live if I had to kill someone each night just to sustain myself. I was able to fight it off with each passing year, though." Whispers Picard, bowing his head. "I am afraid that Robin is right though. I am feeling weaker…and I do hear strange voices. I just never said anything about them. I did not want to worry you."

"Idiot," mutters Garcia, "You should have said something before, instead of having me find out like this. From that guy." I stand up abruptly at this, startling them. I smile weakly at them.

"Thank you for telling me all of this. I…I am very tiered. You would not mind if I went up to my room and go to bed, do you?" They watch me for a moment before letting me run off to my bedroom. It did not help. I do not believe them. I cannot believe them. Not yet. I need to hear it from someone else. The only person left that will be able to answer my questions, all of these questions finally. My mother.

When I reach my bedroom, I lock the door behind me, open my laptop and plug it in before writing out a letter on my laptop, telling Picard and Garcia where I am going and what I plan to do once I get there. I turn away and hurry over to the window, throwing it open and poking my head out the door to look around. Being on the fourth floor of the mansion does not help escaping it much. I spot a nearby tree limb and climb out the window, jumping from it and narrowly managing to grab onto the branch. I swing up onto it and climb down the tree, dropping into the bushes before running through the yard and down the driveway. The train station is only a couple of blocks for the academy so I should get there in no time.

As I step out the wrought-iron gates, something catches my eyes. My heart skips a beat when I see a black motorcycle across the street from me and leaning against that motorcycle is Robin, a helmet in hand almost as if he was waiting just for me. I cross the street after making sure that none of the cars were going to run over me and pause when I reach his side, looking up at him. "Need a ride?" I nod and he puts the helmet on my head and then climbs on the back of the motorcycle. I glance back at the academy before hopping on behind Robin, slipping my arms around his waist as he starts his motorcycle up.

"Fukui." I whisper over the roar of the engine. He nods and takes off down the road, weaving in and out of the night traffic. Hopefully Garcia and Picard will not be too worried about me while I am gone, nor too mad at me when I return. I lean closer against Robin's back, forgetting everything as I hear the gentle beating of his heart, even with the noise of the engine. It is comforting for me to listen to something that seems so familiar to me.

Normally it would have probably taken days to reach Fukui from Sendai but somehow we managed to make it there before the sun rose over the horizon. I point down a road and Robin turns into it, following my directions even though I am too tiered to even look at where we are going. I can the seconds off in my read, pointing the way down the road from memory. He finally slows into a stop and shakes my shoulder lightly before getting off, holding me up so I would not fall. "It this the place?" I open my eyes, stumble off the motorcycle and leaning against him, too tiered to care what he would think of this anymore.

A pale blue lighthouse stands in front of us, the sound of rushing waves reaching my ears. I smile happily, waking up at the familiar sight. It has been too long since I was last here but everything looks the same, everything smells the same. The sweet, salty sea air entering my lungs after a few deep breaths. I pull the helmet off my head and turn to Robin, "Thank you so much." He blinks down at me, almost as if wondering what to say to this. "This is my house. I…I wanted to ask my mother something but I am a little afraid of the answer that I will get."

"If you came this far, I think you are brave enough to bare the burden of the answer." He says, moving forward and walking past me toward the lighthouse. I hurry after him, falling into step beside him until we reach the door to the lighthouse. I stand on tiptoe, feeling above the doorframe for the spare key.

When the cool metal brushes against my searching fingers, I grab onto it and pull it from its hiding place. I stick it in the keyhole and turn it in the lock, pushing the door open once I hear the telltale click. I enter the room to the sound of wind chimes ringing in the darkened room. Robin enters behind me, closing the door as I move forward, cutting off what little light the night had provided. I turn around, startled and bump into him, grabbing onto his arms to keep from falling down. "S-sorry." He laughs, sounding oddly amused by my behavior. I pull away slightly and look up at him, trying to catch his face in the darkness but all I can see is a faint outline.

Just as I go to turn away, fumbling through the darkened room for the light switch, I hear a distant click and the lights flicker on, my aunt standing in the hallway leading to the bedrooms on the other side of the room in her nightgown. She blinks at me for a moment before looking at Robin and smirking. "I see you came back, Ivan, and you brought a friend with you. He sure is a handsome one, isn't he?" I glance back at Robin to see his expression but he just blinks a couple of time, looking a little confused.

Hama sits us down around in the living room and hands us warm tea as she settles in one of the chairs across from us. "Alright, Ivan, what are you doing here exactly? Your mother told me that you were in Sendai, studying at the academy run by some of our relatives. Did it get to be too much for you and you ran away with your friend? Who is he, if you do not mind my asking." Robin shakes his head and quickly tells her his name. "Ah, Robin is it, nice to meet you. So, Ivan?"

I stare down at the tea for a long moment, lost in my own thoughts. "Well, Hama…I wanted to ask my mother something important." I look back up at her, "Hama, I know about the truth of the academy, that it was built to train vampire hunters." Robin tenses up on the couch next to me but does not say anything, which I am very glad for. Hama is my father's sister; she could be a vampire hunter herself.

"I was afraid this day would come, but I knew that your mother could not hide it from you forever. Ivan, she is very ill at the moment. I think that something like this would upset her. You do not want her condition worsening, do you?" I stand up, dropping the cup of tea to the ground where it shatters.

"Upset my mother? What about me? I have been lied to my whole life! Why have you all been keeping something like this from me? Every single one of you knew what I was, what the academy was all about but you still kept it from me. What were you trying to protect me from?" I ask, waving a hand to an old picture of my father standing in front of the academy with Hama. "If you had not wanted that life for me, you should have allowed me to be the one to make that decision."  
  
"Your mother knew you would be like your father. She knew you would want to fight against them." Whispered Hama, wanting me to calm down, lower my voice so I would not wake my mother. It made me angrier. I clenched a fist, shutting my eyes. "You have so much more going for you, Ivan. You are a very smart young man. The world has so much more to offer you aside from the life of a hunter. They could kill you so easily. She did not want to lose you as well. You are all that she has left of my brother."

"She is being selfish." I snap bitterly.

"You are right, Ivan. I was being selfish." I lift my head to the doorway and see my mother standing there, leaning heavily against the side of the hall. "I sent you to the academy because I knew you would soon figure everything out. I had not expected you to return, though, but I am glad to see you again." She moves towards us slowly, pauses here and there to gather her strength before she falls into a chair near Hama.

"Mother…" She looks up at me and smiles weakly, coughing after the simple movement. I turn my head away. It is painful to see her so weak like this. She had always been such a strong woman, I hate thinking that it was all just a mask. That mask is gone now, worn away by the passing of time and the loss of hope. She makes a weak hand gesture for me to sit down and I slowly sit back in my chair.

"I am sure that Garcia has already told you most of what you want to know, so why are you here?"

"I…I wanted to hear it from you. I could not believe it unless you were the one to tell me what is going on, what I am." I slowly begin to recount everything that Garcia told me, telling it to my mother word for word. It seems so unreal. Is this really my life? Am I really the one telling this woman all this bizarre happenings? When did this all start? This downward spiral into confusion.

I take a deep breath when I finish with my tale and my mother nods, smiling at Robin. "Thank you for escorting my son here. I am most thankful for your trouble." Robin bows his head next to me and my mother giggles. "I suppose you would like to know more about your father, the truth of him at the very least." I nod. "Your father showed signs that he would become a great hunter at a young age. His parents sent him to the academy as soon as he was old enough to begin the intense training. It lasted until he was seventeen, when he was finally released from the academy and joined the hunters at night.

"I have already told you how we met so I will skip to the end. Your father did not die in a plane crash like we have told you so many times before. He was killed by a vampire on a mission." It does not surprise me as much as it should have. I just sit there and continue to listen, trying to make my mind soak it all in. "Garcia's mother called me the other night and told me about how my mother died. It seems as if she was killed by a vampire as well, a vampire she knew. My mother was a vampire sympathizer. She hated the fact that I had fallen in love and even married a vampire hunter. She was even more angry when she discovered that I had a child, you. I suppose she knew that you would have your father's powers and abilities. I am sorry to say that that is the reason your grandmother hated you so much."  
  
"Nasty old bat." Hissed Hama, "She deserved what she got, hating my brother so much…and even you, Ivan, when you had done nothing but be born. And you could not have been more sweeter to her when you were around her." Hama sighs. "There is nothing we can do about it now, of course."

"And you Auntie, are you one of the hunters?" Hama pulls the pin out of her hair, allowing her long, pale violet hair to fall onto her shoulders as she shakes the tangles out of her hair. She laughs at my question, as if I had just told the funniest joke in the world.

"Me? A hunter? Heavens no. I have none of the abilities that my brother had. I admit that I was a bit jealous of him at times but he really loved it. The training was hard and he would complain to me just for the hell of it but he enjoyed it, saying that he would be able to save lives." She frowned, "However, after you were born…he started to say strange things to me. That he was not so sure that your grandmother was so wrong for sympathizing with the vampires." I fight the urge to turn to Robin and stand up. My mother and Hama look at me, surprised for a moment.

"I'm really tiered. Do you think I could go to bed, just for a little while?" My mother smiles at me happily.

"Of course not. It is great to have you home again, Ivan." I nod to her and look down at the shattered teacup, opening my mouth to say that I would clean it up. Hama waves her hand to me.

"Don't bother. I'll get it in a second." I nod, apologizing as I stumble out of the room and push the door to my room open. Everything looks relatively the same, except the three pictures now sitting on my dresser at the academy are missing. I push the door close behind me and lean against it, letting out the breath I had been holding. So it was all true. I am a hunter and so was my father. My grandmother had been on the vampires' side and that had gotten her killed in the end. I hear the faint buzz of familiar voices and press my ear against the door, thankful for the walls being so thin.

"Robin, is it?" I hear my mother ask.

"Yes."

"Can I ask you why you helped my son here? What was in it for you?" My mother continues to say. There is a long pause before Robin replies to this question, a soft rustling sound as someone stands up.

"I…I cannot explain it myself. I just ended up helping him." Another pause as I wait, holding my breath again, my heartbeat speeding up in anticipation. Hama is the next to speak.

"Please, protect Ivan. He is all that we have left of my brother and he is very important to us. I can see it in your eyes as well, that Ivan is special to you."

I flush and lean against the door more. Robin does not reply to this and I can hear heavy footfalls from the hallway, headed toward my room. I curse under my breath and dash toward my bed, jumping into the air and landing on my bed, closing my eyes just as the door opens and closes softly behind someone. The same heavy footsteps reach my ears as the owner moves towards me as I pretend to sleep. I feel someone's eyes on me, watching me with a familiar intensity. Robin.

I hear him drop to his knees next to my bed and I feel something brush against my hand before retreating as soon as it touches my skin. I bite down on the inside of my lip to keep from opening my eyes and saying something to startle him. Must keep quite. Must keep quite. Please hold my hand. Please just…

After three or so failed attempts, he finally takes my hand into his own. My heart races as I feel that all too familiar fluttering in my stomach. I smile in spite of myself. I think I could die from happiness right now. He touches the back of my hand to his cheek before lightly brushing it against his lips. This is the best! If only he thought I were awake…

The door creaks open and Robin jumps up, stumbling back away from my bed as he drops my hand. Sucky timing! You just ruined the best moment in my life!

"You are in love with my son, aren't you?" I blush at my mother's words.

"I…well…I…you see…" Robin trips and stumbles over his words, searching for something to say. And here I thought he was so calm and composed. "I wouldn't say that exactly…I mean, we just met…" My mother crosses the room and I feel her cool fingers brush against my forehead, pushing my bangs away from my closed eyes.

"It is quite all right. I see the way you look at him. I have seen it so many times before, in my husbands eyes each time he looked at me." She sighs nostalgically. "I know what you are, Robin. You are a vampire, but even so…you are still the only person that Ivan has ever shown such strong emotions for." She giggles and walks out of the room without another word to Robin.

I sigh and sit up slowly, startling Robin as he turns back around to look at me. "How long have you been awake?"

"The whole time." I mutter, looking down at the hand he had been holding in his only moment ago. "I…um…I am a light sleeper when I have things on my mind." I blush as I trail a finger lightly across the spot of my hand that Robin had brushed his lips against.

"S-sorry about that…I…" I shakes my head, smiling up at him as he blushes.

"It's just fine. I didn't mind at all." We watch each other for a moment before he clears his throat.

"What are we going to do now?" I blink at the question, confused. "You are a hunter and I am a vampire. And…according to your mother, we both have strong feelings for each other. What do we do now?" I blush and turn away from him, drawing my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs.

"I don't know. All we can do now is just wait and see how things play out. Garcia is definitely going to be pissed at me when I get back to the academy, though. That much I can be sure of now." I sigh and smile at him. "I guess it was all worth it, though. I got the answers that I came for. All of them."

**-TBC-**

::cat-like smirk:: I am sure you all can tell which is my favorite part in this chapter. Ah, I love and adore Robin and Ivan so much. They are so much fun to play around with since they are younger than Picard and Garcia and do a lot less. The dream sequence is my favorite part, if you couldn't tell. I didn't know how far to take it but I didn't want to take it too far. I knew I would have to give you something good to make up for how long this chapter was going to take and I did know it was going to take a long time before I actually turned it out. **Dark Love** is my baby, my pride and joy. Sorry about all the typos but I didn't think it was fair to keep everyone waiting for so long. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, especially with that part at the fair and afterwards in the café. Those yellow-brown eyes are not as strange as you would think. That's how my eyes are. I've also been told they were an amber color in the sun by one of my friends, and an orange color by another friend of mine. Enough about me, in the next chapter it will be from after Robin ran into Ivan a second time, maybe a little before that. Also **Rainstorm Memories **my new Robin/Ivan fic is up and ready to be read. :3 I hint at Robin and Ivan getting a little…:"coughcough::frisky::coughcough:: toward the end…so…eh heh…yeah. Thanks for reading! Hopefully the fifth chapter will come out sooner than this one did!

Alex: I want in this already. Don't just mention me. Feh. Oh, Robin's dark and tormented. At least he's mentioned a bunch of times.  
  
::sweatdrops:: Give it a rest, Alex. Bai bai! Read and review please!


	5. Rainy day kisses

**Dark Love**

**By**: Padfoot-chan

Sorry for the delay. I am really glad that everyone enjoyed the last chapter. Family problems got in the way but I am happy now and I suppose that is all that matters because when I am happy, I can write. I am a little worried about my mom. Anyway, this chapter ended up being longer than I planned and I ended up staying up late into the night to finish it. It is 3 in the morning at the moment and I just finished. Hopefully my heart problems are not related to my sleep I did plan to post this chapter on my one year anniversary of being here at but seeing as that is on the 21, I did not think it would be too far to everyone. I guess I can just try to hurry up with Ivan's chapter and hope I finish it by the 21.

I know I could have taken the dream further but I have trouble writing those scenes and my father was lurking around the house so I did not want to write something and have him come in and go "what is going on?" Please do not read this while parents are around, I do not want anyone else getting into trouble because of me, I feel guilty. **Also, I am raising the rating to R just to be safe.**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Golden Sun characters, they belong to Camelot. I do not own L'ArcEnCiel, they own themselves.

**Warning**: Heavy shonen-ai bordering on yaoi in this chapter. Yaoi: yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi in English it means: No climax, no resolution, no meaning. But since…there is resolution/meaning in this…it's only bordering. It you do not like shonen-ai or yaoi (how could you not? ::stares at Wild Rock wallpaper and drools::) then do not read. You have been warned.

No flames. Only constructive criticism. Read and Review please! Once again, I love you guys! You're the best reviewers ever! I have another present for you. My imoto-san Hoshi got the 1000 page views for my DA account and she kindly asked for a picture of Garcia and Picard together. It turned out great. Just go to my homepage, click on it and you'll see the drawing of them together. Also, a screenshot of my Wild Rock wallpaper is there as well. Mature content, though, so be careful Also, sorry for the typos ;; I haven't got a beta-reader and I am far too busy to read over the story myself.

**Dedicated to**: All my reviewers for being so wonderful and MightyHealer from Dark Ages for being so sweet to me

**Chapter 5**: Rainy day Kisses

A chorus of birds chirps loudly in the tree just outside the window across from me. I grab the pillow I am lying on and duck my head under it to block out the loud chirping. My sensitive hearing picks it up anyway. I try to ignore it but groan when I feel the warmth of the sun begin to recede, signaling the coming nighttime. I lift myself from the couch, finding the darkness around me somewhat comforting but complicated to maneuver in. I trip over one of the legs of the coffee table and bump my forehead on the arm of one of the chairs. I sit back, leaning against the edge of the coffee table as I rest my forehead in the palm of my hand, waiting for the bruise to slowly heal.

What has gotten into me? Normally I am not so clumsy, even with the darkness and the clutter of furniture. I have not moved anything recently so I should know this room like the back of my hand. I certainly was not clumsy when I was alive and with my vampiric agility, I should have been able to catch myself before I hit my head against the chair. I shake my head and push off the ground so I am on my feet. I walk out of the room and up the stairs. Flipping the switch on in my room, I move to the closet and change into different clothes.

Life has gotten so tedious and routine. If I am not home trying to keep myself from 'dying' of boredom by watching the mortals on television, I am out hunting for my next victim, or out searching for any clues that will lead me to my maker. Of course, each lead has only turned up dead end after the other. It is as if he disappeared from the face of the earth after he brought me into this darkness. He is toying with me. He planned this from the beginning and it is all just some damn game to him. I am here as his sole form of entertainment. I bet he was a load of fun at parties when he was human.

I roll my eyes as I walk down the stairs, slip my coat over my shoulders and step lightly out of my house. Something is different in the air tonight. A softer, more melodious emotion kissing at the normal rush to a bar or a friend's house that usually fills the night air at this hour. Maybe a carnival or a fair came to town. I have never been to one before…not even while I was alive. Back then, there had not been much to celebrate and even if there had been something to celebrate, Father would never have taken us. He hated loud noises and it was worse when he was drunk.

I pause and look around me. In my thoughtfulness, my legs had carried me all the way to the park near my house, the park that boy had been walking towards the other night. How had I walked here without even noticing? What was I doing here anyway? I normally disliked going to the park, no many people came here at night.

Oh, hell…now that I am here…I sit on the bench and gaze up at the darkening sky. It is transforming from a pale, pinkish-blue to a deep violet color…a rich amethyst heightened by the stars blinking into existence as if being reborn into some new world…a new purity all their own. For some reason, it reminds me of that boy. Everything reminds me of him. It is as if I am under his spell, his helpless victim, lost in his violet gaze. This is such a strange yet intense emotion. I feel warm inside.

Whenever I think about him, my heartbeat speeds up. It feels good…to think about him. Is that why he has been on my mind since last night? Do I see him as my only source of hope now? A bright light blinking in the darkness that surrounds me, a lighthouse to guide my way in this sea of emptiness. I certainly have hit rock bottom now. To rely on a mere boy that I just met for my happiness.

Light, graceful footsteps echo around me and I look down the small path to find a young man moving toward me. He is not a human, his body does not carry the human warmth to it and his smell is that of someone of my kind. He is a young one, too, maybe a little under a hundred years old. He is a foolish one, walking so close to one of my age when I could kill him so easily almost as if he were still a mortal man.

He stops in front of me, his hand resting on the back of the bench near my shoulder. "Do you come to this park often? I have never seen someone so pretty here before. You must be new in town. What do you say to me showing you around town and then afterward, you can come back to my place." So he thinks I am mortal. I smirk, folding my arms over my chest before looking up at him, the smirk still on my lips. He staggers back as soon as my eyes lock with his.

"Who made you, boy? Was it one of the old ones?" He sways for a moment before clenching his fists and narrowing his eyes at me.

"I bet my creator was a lot older than you." He snaps at me. I rise from the bench slowly. I am a few inches taller than he is so this makes for an intimidating stance. He takes a couple of steps back as I stare at him, quickly reading his mind to see if his creator was the same one who made me. No. I risked exposing myself to another vampire for this. I cannot have more him knowing I am here, especially not with his mind open to my maker. I guess I am just going to have to get rid of him before he encounters anyone else.

"I will give you until the count of ten to get as far from me as possible before I come after you. That should give you a little over eleven seconds left to live. I suggest that you use it wisely, young one. I trust you wish to know the name of your killer. I am sorry but I shall not give my name to you, my face shall be enough for you." He stares at me, standing rooted on the spot. I open my mouth, smiling kindly before beginning the countdown. "Hitosu…futatsu…mittsu…" His eyes widen and he spins around, dashing past me and out of the park. I sigh and continue to count down under my breath. "Yottsu… itsutsu… muttsu… nanatsu… yattsu… kokonotsu… toh." I move after him slowly, slipping my hands into my pockets with the sound of his footsteps still ringing in my ears.

I catch up with him just outside a café, the light from the window shining on my face before I walk past it. He must know what is about to come. I place a trance on him and he turns a corner up ahead slowly, his mind locked away deep within himself. I sigh and turn the corner after him, winding up in a dark alley. I grab his shoulder and push him roughly against the wall. I push his head back with my hand, grabbing his hair to keep his head steady as my upper lip curls back, my fangs sliding out as I lower my mouth to his neck. Soft running footsteps to my left make me hesitate for a moment, but only for a moment, in the next second I feel someone slam against me with enough force to knock the person backwards and onto the ground. I roll my eyes at the interruption and turn slowly to look at whoever ran into me.

A gasp escapes my lips before I can stop it from doing so. There he is, the boy from yesterday. My mind leaves my current task as I release the young vampire, allowing him to slide down the wall, still lost in my trance. There is that burning emotion again, I feel it as I begin to move toward him before gracefully dropping down to the ground. Almost without meaning to do so, I reach out a hand to touch his cheek, cradling it in the palm of my hand. He lets out his own gasp and I try hard not to smile at the sound. Something passes over his eyes and he blushes, the new warmth of it burning my hand. "I…I wanted to…um…" he tries to say to me.

I watch him, studying every inch of his face as I lift my free hand up and lightly touch his silky hair. I trail my fingers down his face, letting them lightly pass over the lids of his right eye before allowing the tips of my fingers to dance along his slightly parted lips. He sits there, watching me as well. "So strange." I whisper, voicing my thoughts aloud. "You sought me out after one meeting. What do you want from me?" Truly, one must wonder what a kid like him sees in someone like me, especially after what he just saw. I was about to kill this man and he still sit before me, not one emotion emitting from him signaling that he is afraid of me.

"I…uh…" He seems to have difficulty speaking, perhaps because of my fingers still resting on his lips. He swallows and looks as if he is trying to say something else. His breathing becomes a little ragged as he finally says something more, "I…wanted to know your name." This catches me off guard. No one alive now knows my name. Only my maker knows my name, I have made sure of that. I have no distance descendents that might have heard of me from their ancestors and I rarely tell anyone my name. However, this boy…he makes me feel so strange. It is all so new to me.

"Robin." I wait a moment as he blinks up at me before continuing, "And you would be?"

"I-Ivan." He stutters, "My name is Ivan." I nod and study his eyes further. The faint silvery moonlight is reflecting in their amethyst depths. I have never found anyone so captivating before. He is not saying anything; he does not have to really. Something about him, maybe everything, catches my attention and draws me under his spell, like a receding wave along the shoreline. Almost without thinking, or willing myself to do so, I feel my fingers that were once on his lips slowly move over his chin and drop to his shirt, the soft fabric startling me slightly. He swallows deeply and bites down on his bottom lip as if to keep from saying something. I smile slightly at this but stop when I hear rushed footsteps coming from around the corner.

Two men appear around the corner, one of them a young vampire and the other…a vampire hunter. I narrow my eyes at them and stand up, brushing the dirt from my knees before taking five careful steps away from Ivan, my eyes still trained on the hunter. For a moment, Ivan is the only one moving, turning to look at the two men before glancing back at me, then the hunter speaks, Ivan turning back around when he addresses him. "Did he hurt you, Ivan?" Why does his words hurt me so much? The way he said them…or what he said. I shake my head, glad that Ivan was not watching me now.

In a flash, the hunter is in front of me, but I caught every movement. For him to use such speed, though, he must be in an advanced class of the hunters. Great, this is just what I need. I glare at him as he does the same to me. Not the normal hunter. If he had been, he would have tried to destroy me instead of trying to stare me down. He is brave, I will give him that, but very stupid if he thinks he can win against me at this little mind game.

"I know what you are." He says finally, "You may be able to fool Ivan, you may have been able to place your demonic spell on him but it will not work on myself." He takes a step towards before continuing. "Tell me, how many people is it now? Do you even know anymore? You are the oldest one I have met but even so, I cannot allow you to just go and continue this blasphemy." I incline my head slightly at this, before letting out a cold laugh, the sound piercing into the strangely silent night. He is a foolish one, to think he can get into my head so easily. He can believe what he wants but he will never know the truth with such a closed mind.

"Blasphemy? You dare to speak of blasphemy to someone like myself? Do you truly believe that I am doing something so wrong that you would put such an audacious title on it?" I feel shoulders shake with my harsh laughter before I lift my arm to point past the hunter and Ivan, to the vampire. "Would you rather me become like him? I am surprised that the strain of the thirst has not driven him to insanity yet. It is what we are, child, we cannot fight it no more than you can fight breathing. We cannot fight it regardless of what gets in the way." He allow my hand to fall back to my side. "You are only hurting him by allowing this to continue. You call that love? Do you want to lose him? Watch him wither away before you?" Ivan looks back at the vampire as he closes his eyes and turns his head to the side. The hunter turns back to look at him, surprise flashing in his russet eyes. I soften the look in my eyes for a moment as I continue, "Of course you did not know. So simple…"

The hunter spins around again, glaring at me, his shoulders shaking with anger. "Shut up." He seethes, "You know nothing about this. You are nothing like him. You are a cold, heartless monster and you do not deserve to walk this earth any longer." He pulls out a thin dagger and in a blink of the eye, has it pressed against my neck. Ivan gasps, reaching out to stop the hunter but the vampire holding him tightens his grip on his shoulders, stopping him from moving from the spot. I narrow my eyes again, grabbing the hunter's wrist, forcing him to push the blade deeper, the edge biting into his neck. I feel the blood begin to push past the opening and the cool blade, slowly dripping down my neck. I turn my eyes away from the hunter and look to Ivan, holding his eyes with mine once again. For some inexplicable reason, I take comfort in his gaze. I snap my eyes away from his and return my stare to the hunter's.

"You have no right to say that to me. You think I enjoy this life? I was human once too, you know. We all were. It is far worse for the old ones." I finally release the hunter's wrist and he stumbles back as I place a hand to my neck, touching the thick crimson liquid there. There is not reason for me to explain this to them, they have no right to know but I still cannot stop myself from saying this. Maybe just to prove my point. "I tried to starve myself once. I grew weaker, dizzier. Any kind of light would hurt my eyes. I began to hear voices all around me. I lost my mind to those voices. You truly think that young one is strong enough to fight it off to remain with you? Just wait and see how long he can hold on." I take a deep breath and stand there for a moment before turning away and starting down the alleyway but the hunter's voice causes me to pause again.

"Don't go anywhere near Ivan again, do you hear me?" I glance back at him, watching his eyes as he stands there, motionless before I decide to reply, waving my hand absently at him.

"That is for him to decide, hunter. If you worry about him so much, tell him not to seek me out. As for me not seeking him out…you are not my keeper. Until you understand what I have said to you tonight, you have no right to consider yourself my equal. I am far above you, child. You had better grow up before you are killed like your other hunter friends." I nod to them and turn away again, turning a corner and pressing my hand to my neck again, mildly wondering why the wound there was talking so long to heal. I stop at the street corner and glance back at the alley, frowning slightly. For a moment, I felt as if someone was calling out to me, wanting me to turn around and go back. I almost obeyed that something but the light changed and I tear my gaze away from the alley and cross the street.

Even as I slowly near my house, there is still that nagging feeling of someone calling out to me, wanting me to go somewhere. I pause every other step, looking back down the road, each time tempted to walk back the way I came. I walk through the gate of my house, turn and move towards my dark motorcycle, parked next to the house just sitting in the driveway. I let out a sigh, fumble around in my pockets for the key before mounting the machine and thrusting the key into the ignition. I pull out of the driveway, onto the street and drive towards whatever is calling me.

For an hour, I drive through the streets, sometimes randomly turning a corner, almost against my will. Just as I was about to give up, I feel the pull disappear and I pull up next to the sidewalk, pulling off my helmet and looking around. My eyes fell on a large mansion surrounded by a intimidating looking wrought-iron gate. Letting out a surprised gasp, I stand up and lean against my motorcycle, staring at the house, studying every stone.

How could I have missed something this massive? I must have drove down this street hundreds of times on my hunts and yet…this is the first time that I actually ever noticed this mansion. This must be the academy. I smirk. To elude me for so long, they must have placed some sort of warding spell on the mansion to keep me from seeing it. However, I can see it now so either someone inside wanted me here or whoever cast the spell lost his or her concentration or died. I narrow my eyes at the house, quickly calculating how many hunters were in the house. Only two, then there was that vampire, and two older normal humans, with only a dwindling amount of hunter power left in them. It would be too easy if I were to go in now. I would rather have them all here for a big battle rather than a small battle.

I sigh and start to turn when movement catches my eye. Someone just dropped from a tree at the side of the house and landed into the bushes at the base of the tree. Blinking I wait until the person comes into view. Ivan. I look back at the house, once against trying to sense everyone in the house. The second hunter is gone…which means that Ivan must be. I groan but try to hide it, keeping my cool as he reaches the wrought-iron gate. He pauses for a moment, just watching me, maybe wondering if I am even there before he checks the road and runs over to him, stopping once he reaches my side. I look down at him as he looks up at me and I utter three simple words, "Need a ride?" He nods at my question and I slip the helmet over his head, it is not as if I am not a safe driver or could not easily grab him and jump to safety, I just do not want get hit my any flying projectiles on the road.

I turn away from him and climb onto my motorcycle again, starting the motorcycle up as Ivan climbs on behind me, wrapping his arms loosely around my waist and I hear him whisper "Fukui," over the rumble of the engine. I nod and drive out into the street, weaving in and out of the cars to try to make the ride go faster. When I feel Ivan begin to nod off, I use my vampiric powers to teleport somewhere near Fukui. I do not want to be outside when the sun comes up, I made that mistake once and I do not want to make it a second time.

When we reach a road Ivan recognizes, he points down it and I turn into it, following his instructions until I pull into a dirt paved driveway with a tall lighthouse built near a cliff overlooking the sea. I slow down, cutting the engine before we can get too close. Running my hands through my hair to comb it back, I turn around, not too surprised to see Ivan was drifting in and out of consciousness. I smile to myself before shaking his shoulder and climbing off my motorcycle, leaving my hand on his shoulder to hold him up so he does not fall forward. I turn away from him and look around, subconsciously pulling him a little closer to me when I feel a chilling breeze. I clear my throat and ask quickly to make sure he does not notice the movement, "Is this the place?"

He opens his violet eyes as I turn my gaze back to him but I turn away again, trying to hide the blush that has stained my cheeks. Does he have any idea what he does to me? He stumbles off my motorcycle and leans against me, his hands clutching folds of my shirt. He stares around us, taking in everything before he pulls the helmet off his head and looks up at me. "Thank you so much." My blush disappears at this and I blink down at him. I was not expecting him to thank me…should I say something in return. 'Your welcome' would be too stupid and too simple, this seems to mean a lot to him. Before I have a chance to say something, he continues. "This is my house. I…I wanted to ask my mother something, but I am a little afraid of the answer that I will get."

Hesitantly, I lift my hand up to his head, patting his silky, dirty blonde hair. "If you came this far, I think you are brave enough to bare the burden of the answer." I step away from him and start toward the lighthouse, knowing he would follow me. He catches up to me and he walk to the lighthouse silently. I pause once we reach the door and Ivan leaves my side, lifting himself up on his toes and feeling around for something in the doorframe. He grabs a small bronze key from the doorframe and drops to his feet again. He slips it into the keyhole and pushes the door after the faint click of the reaches my ears.

He steps through the doorway and into the dark room. Looking around the area once more, I hurry inside the lighthouse, pushing the door shut behind me. The sun is going to come out soon, I cannot be too careful. The loss of the faint light from outside throws the room into complete darkness. I hear Ivan spin around in front of me, followed by a sharp intake of breath then he bumps into me, grabbing onto my arms to keep himself steady. "S-sorry," he apologizes to me. I shake my head, laughing softly in spite of myself. He certainly is a shy one. Could he possibly be a hunter? I feel him pull away slightly, looking up at me. He cannot see my face in this darkness but I can see his. He looks confused…

He pulls away further and turns away, most likely to hunt for the switch in this darkness. He stops when we hear something click and then the room is bathed in a dim light. A woman is standing in a hallway, dressed only in a nightgown, blinking at us for a moment before she smirks, her eyes falling on me. "I see you came back, Ivan, and you brought a friend with you. He sure is a handsome one, isn't he?" I stare at the woman, blinking in confusion. Who is this woman? To speak so bluntly.

The woman makes us sit down in the living room before she hands us warm tea and sits in a chair across from us. I lift an eyebrow at the tea before sighing and setting it down on the table before me. "Alright, Ivan, what are you doing here exactly? Your mother told me that you were in Sendai, studying at the academy run by some of our relatives. Did it get to be too much for you and you ran away with your friend? Who is he, if you do not mind my asking." So, Ivan was sent to the academy by his mother…? And the academy is run by people in Ivan's family?

I shake my head, "My name is Robin."

The woman nods at this, smiling, "Ah, Robin is it, nice to meet you." Then she turns to Ivan again, her stormy violet eyes narrowing slightly. So, Ivan?" I turn to look at Ivan myself, watching him as he stares down at his tea.

He finally answers her, looking across the table at the woman, "Well, Hama…I wanted to ask my mother something important. Hama, I know about the truth of the academy, that it was built to train vampire hunters." I tense up slightly at this, turning away and busying myself with the paintings on the walls. This is really none of my business. I just came here because Ivan needed a ride.

The woman he called Hama let out a tiered sigh, "I was afraid this day would come, but I knew that your mother could not hide it from you forever. Ivan, she is very ill at the moment. I think that something like this would upset her. You do not want her condition worsening, do you?" I turn quickly when I feel Ivan's weight leave the couch. He rises to his feet, the cup in his hands falling to the ground and shattering into sharp pieces.

"Upset my mother? What about me? I have been lied to my whole life! Why have you all been keeping something like this from me? Every single one of you knew what I was, what the academy was all about but you still kept it from me. What were you trying to protect me from? If you had not wanted that life for me, you should have allowed me to be the one to make that decision."  
  
"Your mother knew you would be like your father. She knew you would want to fight against them." Whispered Hama, in hopes of calming Ivan down. Ivan clenches a fist, shutting his eyes tightly. I remain silent through the whole ordeal. It is not my place to speak and maybe if I merely listen I can find out a little more about Ivan and about the academy. "You have so much more going for you, Ivan. You are a very smart young man. The world has so much more to offer you aside from the life of a hunter. They could kill you so easily. She did not want to lose you as well. You are all that she has left of my brother."

"She is being selfish."

"You are right, Ivan. I was being selfish." Ivan and I turn to see a woman standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall for support. "I sent you to the academy because I knew you would soon figure everything out. I had not expected you to return, though, but I am glad to see you again." She moves towards us slowly, pauses here and there to gather her strength before she falls into a chair near Hama.

"Mother…" She looks up at Ivan and smiles weakly, coughing after the simple movement. Ivan turns his head away from her and I have the sudden strong urge to pull him into my arms. She makes a weak hand gesture for him to sit down and Ivan slowly sit back in on the couch next to me.

"I am sure that Garcia has already told you most of what you want to know, so why are you here?"

"I…I wanted to hear it from you. I could not believe it unless you were the one to tell me what is going on, what I am." Ivan slowly begins to recount everything that Garcia told him that night.

_"Why did you lie to me? What is going on here? I want to know the truth. I think I deserve that after tonight, after that little…conversation with Robin." Garcia stops his search, sighs and turns to Picard before he looks at me. I do not look into his eyes, instead, I stare at the fire burning in the fireplace, the brilliant flames dancing before my eyes. The fires of Hell. Ultimate purification of the soul. Burning the sins away, punishing the soul for the crimes they have committed in life. Forever burning in death._

_"We did not lie to you, Ivan. We were just keeping things for you because your mother did not want this life for you. She did not want to place you in danger." Replied Picard when Garcia had to spoken. "And you are right, you need to know the truth so that you can avoid the danger that you have fallen into." He turns to Garcia, giving him a look before Garcia takes a deep breath._

_"The best place to start this off would be from the beginning." He starts slowly, turning his eyes up to the ceiling. I look away from the fire and watch him. "You understand that you and I are related, correct?" I nod, not knowing what that had to do with anything. He sighs again, "What I am about to tell you may confuse you…it may even scare you, but please do not overreact. As Picard said before, your mother did not want me or anyone else for that matter to tell you of this. But again, there had to be some reason why she sent you here to live at the academy for so long._

_"Ivan, our family…is very special. You can trace our family line back for centuries, back to the time of the first vampire." My breath catches in my throat, and I recall the image of Robin's lips curling back, those two fangs flashing in the moonlight before I had stopped him. "I suppose you could say that our family was created for the sole purpose of becoming vampire hunters. Not everyone in our family had the ability to become a hunter. It was our family that became the first hunters. There were always vampires, though. Our work was never over._

_"That was when my great-great-great-grandfather, your great-great-great grandmother's brother, built the mansion. It was his way of fighting back against the growing vampire threat. He would seek out special people with the abilities of a hunter, be it healing, tracking, or slaying. He wanted to hone in on their abilities and turn out strong hunters who could fight against the vampires or at least protect themselves against the vampires if they were ever attacked._

_"I am one of the vampire hunters, Ivan. A slayer, which means I kill them if I find them." He pauses for a moment, "You are a hunter as well. That test you took when you were here last time, it was not an entrance exam like we told you. It was to see if you had any abilities. You do have powers, one of the strongest for someone your age. Your mother did not want to place you in any danger by becoming one of us so she asked us not to tell you about the true purpose behind the academy. To you, it was just some prep school for college."_

_"And…and what is Picard? Is he a hunter as well? Robin said…" Garcia cuts me off before I can say anymore._

_"Picard is a vampire, just like Robin." Garcia looks to Picard for a moment before he continues, "Picard was the first vampire I met. We were both considered new at what we were, it was so awkward. I was mad at myself at first for falling in love with him but Picard is different from the other vampires I have met. He is still so human…sometimes I forget that he is a vampire."_

_"I joined the hunters to help out because I hated what I had to do…I really had no right to live if I had to kill someone each night just to sustain myself. I was able to fight it off more with each passing year, though." Whispers Picard, bowing his head. "I am afraid that Robin is right though. I am beginning to feel weaker…and I do hear strange voices sometimes. I just never said anything about them. I did not want to worry you."_

_"Idiot," mutters Garcia, "You should have said something before, instead of having me find out like this. From that guy." I stand up abruptly at this, startling them. I smile weakly at them._

_"Thank you for telling me all of this. I…I am very tiered. You would not mind if I went up to my room and go to bed, do you?" They watch me for a moment before letting me run off to my bedroom. It did not help. I do not believe them. I cannot believe them. Not yet. I need to hear it from someone else. The only person left that will be able to answer my questions, all of these questions finally. My mother._

_When I reach my bedroom, I lock the door behind me, open my laptop and plug it in before writing out a letter on my laptop, telling Picard and Garcia where I am going and what I plan to do once I get there. I turn away and hurry over to the window, throwing it open and poking my head out the door to look around. Being on the fourth floor of the mansion does not help escaping any easier. I spot a nearby tree limb and climb out the window, jumping from it and narrowly managing to grab onto the branch. I swing up onto it and climb down the tree, dropping into the bushes before running through the yard and down the driveway. The train station is only a couple of blocks for the academy so I should get there in no time._

_As I step out the wrought-iron gates, something catches my eyes. My heart skips a beat when I see a black motorcycle across the street from me and leaning against that motorcycle is Robin, a helmet in hand almost as if he was waiting just for me. I cross the street after making sure that none of the cars were going to run over me and pause when I reach his side, looking up at him. "Need a ride?"_

So, that is it. The origin of the academy of vampire hunters. This is bigger than me. I cannot win against them. It is not that I want to get rid of them now, though. Now after meeting Ivan. I just want what is mine now.

Ivan takes a deep breath once he finishes with his story and then his mother nods, smiling at me. "Thank you for escorting my son here. I am most thankful for your trouble." I bow respectfully to the woman, making her giggle. "I suppose you would like to know more about your father, the truth of him at the very least." Ivan nods to this and his mother takes a deep breath before speaking again. "Your father showed signs that he would become a great hunter at a young age. His parents sent him to the academy as soon as he was old enough to begin the intense training. It lasted until he was seventeen, when he was finally released from the academy and joined the hunters at night.

"I have already told you how we met so I will skip to the end. Your father did not die in a plane crash like we have told you so many times before. He was killed by a vampire on a mission. Garcia's mother called me the other night and told me about how my mother died. It seems as if a vampire killed her as well, a vampire she knew. My mother was a vampire sympathizer. She hated the fact that I had fallen in love and even married a vampire hunter. She was even more angry when she discovered that I had a child, you. I suppose she knew that you would have your father's powers and abilities. I am sorry to say that that is the reason your grandmother hated you so much."  
  
"Nasty old bat." Hissed Hama, "She deserved what she got, hating my brother so much…and even you, Ivan, when you had done nothing but be born. And you could not have been more sweeter to her when you were around her." She sighs. "There is nothing we can do about it now, of course."

"And you Auntie, are you one of the hunters?" Hama pulls the pin out of her hair, allowing her long, pale violet hair to fall onto her shoulders as she shakes the tangles out of her hair. She begins to laugh at Ivan's question, as if he had told a joke. I frown slightly, silently wondering if the woman was mentally insane.

"Me? A hunter? Heavens no. I have none of the abilities that my brother had. I admit that I was a bit jealous of him at times but he really loved it. The training was hard and he would complain to me just for the hell of it but he enjoyed it, saying that he would be able to save lives." She frowned, "However, after you were born…he started to say strange things to me. That he was not so sure that your grandmother was so wrong for sympathizing with the vampires." Ivan stands up once again. His mother and aunt look up at his slightly surprised. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, wondering what could have made him stand up so suddenly.

"I'm really tiered. Do you think I could go to bed, just for a little while?" His mother smiles happily at him.

"Of course not. It is great to have you home again, Ivan." Ivan nods to her and looks down at the shattered teacup, opening his mouth to say something but Hama waves her hand to stop him.

"Don't bother. I'll get it in a second." He nods, apologizing as he stumble out of the room. One I hear the door to Ivan's room click shut, his mother and aunt turn to me, watching me with knowing smiles on their face. It is a little unnerving to say the least. I have not sat in a room this long with a woman since my own mother. I had forgotten what it was like.

"Robin, is it?" asks Ivan's mother, still smiling at me. Does she know I am a vampire? It is a little hard to tell with this dim lighting but still, my skin is too pale and my eyes have a strange glint to them. To a trained eye that knows what they are looking for, I certainly do not come off looking very human.

"Yes." I reply, a little skeptically, not sure whether to trust this woman yet or not.

"Can I ask you why you helped my son here? What was in it for you?" I bit down on my lip. I was not expecting that but I suppose it is a valid question. Anyone would want to know why I drove Ivan all the way from Sendai to Fukui just like that. That is none of her business, though. Not even Ivan's own mother. I stand up gracefully, whatever wrinkles that had managed to get into my clothes while sitting smooth themselves out.

"I…I cannot explain it myself. I just ended up helping him." That was not too far from the truth, just something to keep them off my back. I do not know what made me drive out to the academy when I did.

"Please, protect Ivan. He is all that we have left of my brother and he is very important to us. I can see it in your eyes as well, that Ivan is special to you." I watch them for a moment, studying their eyes before I break any, moving toward the hall and walking down it to the door Ivan had entered.

I pause at the door for a moment, breathing in deeply and listening carefully before turning the handle and pushing the door open, walking in after it. I close the door shut softly behind me and look around, smiling when I spot Ivan asleep on the bed. I let the smile fade away as I move toward his bed silently as possible, not wanting to wake him. He looks so peaceful sleeping like that.

When I reach the side of his bed, I drop to my knees and continue to watch him before I reach out tentatively with my hand to touch his, only to pull it back again. I look down at my hand for a moment, take another deep breath and try again, this time actually touching his hand. I pull away as quickly as my skin brushed his. His skin is so warm, almost burning compared to my skin. I release my breath and try again. On the third try, I bite down on my lip and finally take his hand in my own.

It is not so bad, I actually like it. I lift his hand to my cheek, brushing the back of it against my skin before brushing it against my lips. If I can do this then I should be able to do something else without any problems. I look at Ivan again and shut my eyes, moving forward slowly. My lips are mere inches from his when the door creaks open. I jump back, dropping Ivan's hand quickly and stumble backwards, my heart pounding loudly in my ears. Ivan's mother walks into the room, smiling at me as I clutch my chest, trying to regain control over my breathing.

"You are in love with my son, aren't you?" The question catches me off guard. I would have expected her to ask what I was doing with her son, or start grabbing furniture from around the room and throwing it at me. I look around the room for something to help me explain but my eyes keep falling on Ivan's sleeping form and looking at him certainly would not help me at the moment. I turn away and bite down on my bottom lip, searching for some good excuse.

"I…well…I…you see…" I stutter, still not sure what kind of bullshit excuse to give her. "I wouldn't say that exactly…I mean, we just met…" She crosses the room and walks over to Ivan's bed, pushing Ivan's bangs out of his closed eyes. I watch Ivan, my eyes softening when I realize something. I am in love with him. I want to protect him and I do not want him to ever be sad or ever be in pain. This is so strange. I have never been in love before. It scares me. Was meeting Ivan my destiny? We were destined to meet?

"It is quite all right. I see the way you look at him. I have seen it so many times before, in my husbands eyes each time he looked at me." She sighs nostalgically. "I know what you are, Robin. You are a vampire, but even so…you are still the only person that Ivan has ever shown such strong emotions for." She turns away from Ivan and walks towards me, smiling up at me as she places a hand on my cheek and whispers into my ear. "Please, take care of my son, I know you will do that for me, Robin. You have a kind heart, I can tell that from the way you were just looking at him." She giggles and walks out of the room, closing the door behind her. What a brave woman. She reminds me so much of my own mother before she started to lose her mind. I would hate for something like that to happen to her, but most of all…how would Ivan take that kind of loss?

I ruffle my hair, trying to shake off the sudden chill that had filled the room at that thought. I turn away from the door and look back to Ivan's bed, jumping back again when I see him sitting up in bed. "How long have you been awake?"

"The whole time." He mutters, lifting his hand in front of his face and looking down at it. I bow my head guiltily. "I…um…I am a light sleeper when I have things on my mind." I raise my head again and watch him as he trails his finger down the side of his hand that I had kissed. I widen my eyes.

"S-sorry about that…I…" I apologize, not really knowing why. He shakes his head and smiles up at me, something different about his eyes this time. My cheeks heat up at the look and I smile back at him in spite of the blush on my cheeks. I would love to get to know him better.

"It's just fine. I didn't mind at all." We watch each other for a long moment, captivated by the other's eye until I clear my throat

"What are we going to do now?" I ask. I need to know just how far he wants to take this. I do not want to do something that the both of us will forget. I can live with heartbreak; my whole life has been nothing but that. Ivan…I do not want something like this hanging on his shoulders if he does not want to be with me. "You are a hunter and I am a vampire. And…according to your mother, we both have strong feelings for each other. What do we do now?"

"I don't know. All we can do now is just wait and see how things play out. Garcia is definitely going to be pissed at me when I get back to the academy, though. That much I can be sure of now." He lets out a sigh and turns to me again, smiling in spite of what he had said, "I guess it was all worth it, though. I got the answers that I came for. All of them." I smile as well.

"I guess that is all that matters." He stretches and covers a huge yawn with his hand, blushing at me when he lowers his hands. "You should get some rest. A lot has happened to you today, you do not want to overexert yourself and get sick, do you?" He shakes his head and stands up, walking toward me hesitantly before slipping his arms around my waist and hugging me. Before he can pull away, I return the hug and lean down, brushing my lips across his cheek lightly. He blushes, touching his cheek lightly before turning around slowly and stumbling toward his bed, pulling out his covers and lying down on it.

I smile and turn away, pulling out the chair of at the desk behind me and sitting down in it, watching as Ivan falls asleep almost immediately. I lean back in the chair and fold my arms across my chest. Does this change things? I do not even know if my creator is alive anymore, he could have let himself die, giving up living since it was so boring going around just killing humans. There is my revenge, though. Do I still want it? Meeting Ivan does change things but to what degree? I do not want him to get involved in this mess. I do not want him to get hurt, especially not because of me. It would be my fault for ever allowing him to get this close to me. I know my maker. If he finds out about Ivan and if he finds out that I am trying to kill him, he will use Ivan against me any way he can. I suppose I will just have to back off for now.

Hours pass before Ivan wakes up again. I start to fall asleep myself, tiered from both the drive and sitting in one place for so long without moving a muscle. Ivan smiles when he sees me and I snap my head up, widening my eyes to try to cover up my fatigue. No good. I fall asleep as he walks over to me. He taps my shoulder, waking me up again. "Good morning, Ivan." I greet him with a tiered smile but yawn. He laughs at this.

"If you want…you can use my bed to sleep in. I bet it is more comfortable than sleeping in that chair." I shake my head, waving my hands at the suggestion. Sleeping in his bed? Even without him in it, it seems a little too big a step for me. Ivan rolls his eyes but leans down, taking my hand and pulling me to my feet. He switches places with me and turns me around so my back is to his bed. He smiles up at me sweetly and my cheeks redden as I wraps my arms around Ivan's waist. Ivan's smile widens and he pushes me back toward the bed. He pauses and I only catch a glimpse of the weird hip movement he makes before he places his hands on my chest and pushes me back. I gasp, releasing my hold on him so that I do not take him down with me if I fall and I trip over Ivan's foot, landing backwards onto Ivan's bed. I blink up at the ceiling as Ivan jumps on top of me, pinning me to the bed while he laughs. "It seems that I am the winner, Robin." I look at him and groan, waving my hand at him as he sits on my stomach, his laughter still in the air. "Don't pout, Robin. Did you want a kiss? You looked so expectant."

"You are really enjoying this, aren't you?" He winks at me and rolls off me before hopping off the bed and making his way toward the door, opening it before looking back at me as I lift myself up on my elbows to look at him. "Please get some sleep, Robin. I know that you were watching over me while I was sleeping. I am sure a lot has happened to you as well today, right? You do not want to overexert yourself, right?" I smirk as he tries to use my logic against me. I do not have the heart to tell him that I cannot get sick or overexert myself. I simply sigh and nod at him. He returns my smile, waves to me and walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Might as well do as he asks. I remove my jacket and lay it on the corner of the bed before pulling off my shirt as well. I flop back onto his bed and rest my head on my arms closing my eyes and drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

I wake up again, hours later, just as the door opens and Ivan walks back into the room. He freezes when his eyes fall onto me, blushing crimson and turning his head as I sit up and pull my shirt on, quickly apologizing. Ivan shakes his head, turning back once I slipped my shirt over my head. I pat a spot on the bed next to me and he walks over, dropping onto the bed beside me, still blushing. After a moment, he turns to me and bites down on his bottom lip, "Uh…Robin, you…look really good." Mentally I am dancing around for joy in my head but outwardly, I merely frown and look down at him, leaning in a little closer.

"Is that the only reason you are attracted to me?" He gasps and shakes his head quickly, grabbing onto my arm, startling me.

"That is not it at all, not that you are not attractive, you are very attractive." He says forcefully, "I do not know why I like you so much, what made me fall for you in the first place. I…I think I might even be in love with you, but it certainly is not because of your body." I smile at him. Ivan turns away, embarrassed and lifts his feet off the ground, falling back onto his bed. A comfortable silences settles around us. I listen to his breathing and the beating of his heart, a soft drumming echoing in his chest. "Robin…would it be rude of me…to ask you if I could stay with for you a couple of weeks? I have a lot of thinking to do before I can go back to the academy and I know my mother would never allow me to even stay here another day. As long as she thinks I went back to the academy it will be okay."

Another question that catches me off guard. I blush and turn to him, "It would not be rude of you, but do you really want to live with me? Even if it is for a couple of weeks…" He smiles and sits up again.

"It would give us more time to be together and get to know more about each other." He laughs. I smile. He does want to be with me them, he seriously would not mind it at all. I nod in agreement at the suggestion and look away from him for a moment, glancing out the window. Night had already fallen, but there was a dim remnant of sunlight on the horizon.

I take Ivan's hand in mine and stand up, lifting him off the bed with me and setting him on his feet. "If were are going, we should go now while the sun is down. I cannot be outside when the sun is out." He nods and leads me out of his room, still holding my hand. His mother and aunt are sitting in the living room, talking to each other when we enter the room. Ivan spots us in front of them, throwing his arms around my neck as he smiles at them.

"Robin and I are going back to Sendai now. I know how much you want me back there in the safety and protection of the academy's walls." Hama smirks and nods. Ivan's mother stands up and Ivan releases his hold on me, moving to his mother and hugging her quickly. She kisses him on the cheek as he pulls away and bows to her. "Bye, Mom."

"No goodbyes for your aunt?" asked Hama, standing up and pulling Ivan into a bear hug. I widen my eyes and take a couple of steps back. Ivan sways as she releases him and he falls back into me.

"Bye, Auntie." I frown at Ivan as we leave the lighthouse, walking back toward my motorcycle. I grab his arm once we reach it and turn him around to face me. "Robin?"

"Is that all you are going to say to them? Don't you want to say more?" Ivan shrugs but leans against me, resting his head against my chest. I sigh and loop my arm around his waist, using my free hand to rub his back. "You still have a chance to say something to them before we leave. I do not exactly want to make coming to Fukui a habit." He smiles up at me as he pulls away but shakes his head.

"It will be better this way. We never were big on goodbyes. We like to leave things unsaid so we will have a reason to come back." He blinks and pats my arms, slightly confused, "Did you forget your jacket?" I look down and sigh, nodding. "Do you want to go back and get it?"

"No, I can always come back and get it now that I know where this place is." I smile, "Besides, we really should be getting out of here already, right?" He nods and I lift the helmet off the back of the motorcycle and hand it to him before climbing on and starting the engine again. Once Ivan has the helmet on, he hops on behind me and wraps his arms around my waist again, leaning his head against my back. I pull out onto the road again and speed down the street, once again using my powers when Ivan falls asleep. Some things about me he does not need to know, at least not yet.

We reach my house with an hour of darkness left, the moon slowly lowering from the sky, shrinking in size. I cut the engine and slip the keys into my pocket before turning around to look at Ivan. He is still asleep, not that I expected him to be awake. I smile and remove the helmet, setting it on the ground before I pick him up and carry him into the house, locking the door carefully behind me.

I yawn and quickly shake my head, trying to shake it off but fatigue once again catches up with me. I carry Ivan up the stairs and lay him down on my bed. I am too tiered to do anything other than remove my shirt and drop onto my bed next to Ivan, finally falling into a deep sleep. Ivan rolls over in his sleep and I smile. Having him staying here for a while might be nice for the both of us.

I thought it was just some weird dream but I can feel smooth fingers brushing along my chest, tracing a familiar pattern there, the pattern of my scar. I blink my eyes open and look down, violet eyes watching me. Looking down I see his fingers dancing along my scar. I grab his hand and bring it up to my lips, kissing it lightly, making Ivan blush. "Robin, can you tell me how you got that scar?"

"It is not important." I reply simply, sitting up and climbing off the bed. Ivan sits up after me, stretching and looking around the room. He turns back to me, looking slightly disappointed. Smirking, I throw him some of my clothes to change into. He gives me a questioning look as he pulls the shirt that I threw him from his head. "You can those, they might be a little big but that is all I have, and," I point to the room next to my bed, "you can take a shower and change in there." He climbs off my bed and moves toward the bathroom hesitantly.

"Thanks for letting me stay here, Robin. It really means a lot to me." He whispers from the door before walking into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. I smile at the closed door and turn away, changing into different clothes before heading downstairs, suddenly glad I decided to keep food in the refrigerator just in case I ever had to prove to someone that I was human. I did not need my cover being blown just because of that.

When I enter the kitchen and move to the refrigerator and lean forward, looking around for something that Ivan might like. Sighing, I grab the egg carton. I hope he likes pancakes…

I finish just as Ivan comes down the stairs and walks into the kitchen, a towel draped around his shoulders as his wet hair drips onto it. The clothes I gave him are a little too bit, the sleeves are hiding his hands and the pants are hiding his feet from view. "I knew they would be too big for you." I say, smiling apologetically at him.

"They're okay." He replies, waving his arms in the air a bit before walking over to me and leaning around me to see what was on the table, "What are you doing?"

"You have to eat, don't you?" I ask laughing, "I wasn't sure what you like but this is all that I learned how to make. It's kind of pathetic, I know but since I don't have to eat…I didn't think that learning would be all that important." To my great surprise, Ivan smiles up at me happily and throws his arms around my neck, drawing me down slightly so he can kiss my cheek.

"Pancakes are my favorite, Robin! Thank you." I smile and shake my head.

"I can't exactly let you starve now, can I?" I turn him around and push him toward the table, making him sit down. "Now eat. Here, let me dry your hair." I pick up the towel from his shoulders and start to dry his hair as he eats. "What to you want to do today?" Ivan leans back and smiles.

"I was hoping we could just stay here tonight. You know, just talk and spend time with each other like we planned to do." I laugh and nod in agreement.

Once he finishes, we move into the living room and sit on the couch together. Ivan fiddles with the sleeves of the shirt I gave him to wear before he lifts it up to his nose and takes a deep breath. "This shirt still has your smell." I blink at him, wondering how to take that comment.

"Is that a good thing?" He gives me a sweet smile and nods, slipping his arms around my waist and resting his head against my chest. This is nice.

"It sort of smells like roses, but it's really faint. I like it, though." I lift a hand up to stroke Ivan's hair, threading my fingers through his soft locks.

"You certainly are a weird kid for falling in love with me without even being placed in a trance." He shakes his head, laughing, lifting his head up briefly to look at me.

"Oh yeah, well you're weirder for falling in love with me." I smile as he rests his head on my chest again, closing his eyes as he listens to my heart beating.

"You know, it is strange. Before I met you, I barely ever smiled. Not once have I smiled as a vampire before I bumped into you that night, but now, when I look at you, you make me smile, even when you are not doing anything at all. Is that what it means to be in love?" I bring a stand of Ivan's hair up to my lips, kissing the blonde strands gently as he snuggles up closer to me. "Ivan, you would not mind tell me more about yourself, would you? I really would like to know everything you are willing to tell me." He fiddles with the buttons on my shirt before running his fingers down the black fabric.

"I would not mind telling you. Where should I start?" I smile.

"The beginning is always nice." He nods and takes a deep breath before starting.

"Well, I was born in Fukui. My childhood was just like everyone else's, I went on picnics with my parents, spent a lot of time with my cousin when he was in town or when we went to visit him. I went to a lot of fairs with my parents but my mom was too weak to go on rides and my dad did not want to leave either of us alone so we just decided to try some other time."

"Rides?" As I mentioned before, I have never been to a fair or amusement park before so I would not really know what it is like.

"You've never been to a fair before?" He asks, surprised as he pulls away and looks up at me again. I blush and shake my head. "Well, then we should go sometime, the fair should be in town for a while. It is somewhat hard to explain it, though, so you might want to just go and see for yourself. A lot of couples go there, too."

"I would like to go there with you…" I mutter, blushing. He smiles and rests his head on my chest again.

"So, anyway…I had a pretty normal childhood until my dad died when I was seven. He told me he was going on a business trip to the States, but then my mother later told me that his plane crashed before he arrived. As you know, that was not true, but it was what I was always told. It is still hard to believe that he was actually killed by a vampire instead. I guess it is true, though. He was a vampire hunter and all.

"Let's see…what else? A year ago, I came to Sendai and studied at the academy, under the pretense that it was just some fancy prep school that some of my relations were running. My mom said that my father had gone to the academy when he was younger and she wanted to see how I would fair there, of course, she did not want me to actually attend the academy permanently."

"She probably did not want you to get mixed up in all this mess. She did not want to lose you like she lost your father." I offer softly, moving my hand from the top of my head to his back, drawing small circles there. "Being a hunter is dangerous, even for the ones with the most advanced training and knowledge. If you let your guard down even for a second, it could mean instant death. Vampires have the strength of ten men when they are first turned. It would not be wise to go into battle with one if you do not know what you are doing, or what you are up against. That was why…Garcia was it?" He nods, "Yes, well, that was why he and I were staring each other down, gauging each other's strengths and weaknesses."

"I see…"

"Even the strongest hunter must be on guard at all times. Your mother did not want that life for you, I doubt she still does but she has no say in this any longer. The decision is yours, to continue into this life further, follow in your father's footsteps or let what power you have fade and forget any of this has ever happened." He looks up, suddenly worried.

"You mean, if I chose not to become a hunter…you and I would never…" I blink and smile, laughing.

"Don't jump to conclusions, Ivan. Even if you were to not choose the life of a hunter, my feelings for you would not change. I would rather be relieved but I, like your mother, have no say in the matter. You need to chose what is best for you, what you want to do with your life." He sighs and settles down again.

"It seems like a very big decision for me to make."

"It is. However, vampires do not seek out the hunters, they do not wish for their own demise. We know what the hunters are capable of and for the young ones, they fear that but fear can sometimes make one do foolish things." I explain to him, "If they are confronted by a hunter, they will either stand there in fright or charge forward recklessly. Many do the latter and meet their death because of that. Sometimes that is not the case. From experience, many of the younger hunters find the younger vampires, since their powers are around equal levels. A less experienced hunter might get startled by the charging vampire and…forget what to do. If you do chose to become a hunter, remember not to show fear, or allow your fear to control your actions."

"I understand."

"Continue." I say after a moment.

"I stayed at the academy until I received a call from my aunt, telling me that my grandmother in Hong Kong had just died and my mother was too sick to attend the funeral so I was to go in her place and speak at the funeral." He says calmly, "So I had to leave the academy to speak at the funeral. When I arrived in Hong Kong, I also had to look over the police report about my grandmother's death. They said that she had been drained of her blood and the only signs of wounds on her were two small puncture wounds on her neck." He lifts his hand up to his neck and points to a part of his neck. Of course, every vampire knows where to bite their victim on the neck to draw the life from them. Therefore, it is true, but who could have killed her? She must have known him, from what Hama and Ivan's mother said, Ivan's grandmother was a vampire supporter. Strange…"If I had known about all this vampire stuff before I would have known the truth about what had happened to my grandmother. Not that…I really was worried about her, she always hated me because my mother married my father, I just hate being lied to." He buries his head in my chest, grasping folds of my shirt in his hands.

"Your mother was thinking of your safety when she withheld this information from you." I reasoned. "Just be happy everything came out into the open now. You went looking for answers to all your questions and you got them. It certainly did not take very long for you to get your answer, either." I sigh and glance at the clock. Four in the morning. An hour and a half left before the sun rises. I turn back to Ivan as I feel him shift his weight in my arms.

"But even so, even with that excuse…I still believe that I had a right to know about my own father's death. He fought up until the last moment, and my mother tells me the lie that he died in a plane crash. That is disgracing his memory, everything that he was, everything that he struggled to become. It was not right, at least, I think it was not…" He trails off and after a long moment, does not speak. I lean back and look at him.

"You…you fell asleep?" I whisper to myself when I see his eyes closed, his breathing coming out slowly. I watch him for a couple of minutes to make sure he is asleep before leaning down slowly. I hesitate, my lips inches from his as I watch his eyes to make sure he will not wake up. I brush my lips against his and back away quickly, blinking at him. Why did that…feel so good? I lift my hand to my lips, blushing. I want to kiss him again…but he is sleeping. Would that be fair to him? I sigh and smile to myself. Still…that kiss was good enough for me. I am a little dizzy, like the world is spinning even though I am standing still. It does not feel weird. It feels really good. I close my eyes and let my head rest lightly on Ivan's as I fall asleep as well.

I am the first to wake up. Ivan's arms are still wrapped around my waist and his head is still lying on my chest as he continues to sleep on. I smile and bend my head slightly, pressing my hand to his chest, both listening to and feeling his heartbeat. He wakes up a moment later, blinking the sleep out of his eyes as he sits up slowly. I pull my hand away from his chest quickly. "S-sorry…I just wanted to…" Why does he make me act this way? I usually know what to say. He shakes his head.

"It's okay, I don't really mind." He lets out a sigh, stretches and hops off the couch, pulling off the shirt I had given him the night before. I flush and quickly stand up, taking his hand and leading him back up to my room. I grab him a change of clothes from the closet and hand them to him. He giggles at me before running off to the bathroom, leaving me alone in the room again.

I turn back to the closet and pull out some clothes for myself, unbuttoning my shirt and throwing it into the hamper on the other side of the room. I feel foolish now. I have been so focused on tracking down and trying to kill my maker that I never stopped to notice what has been going on around me. I kept my emotions bottled up inside and I never was able to understand things, never able to open up to anyone like this before. Ivan has his own problems but he is dealing with him better than I ever could, even now. He even wants to get mixed up in my problems. How can he care so much? How can he still keep a smile on his face after he found all of this out? I know I told him that his mother had his best interest in mind but even I think she was being selfish. He had a right to know all along. He would have been able to understand this life when he was younger, he is a smart kid. It would have been better to tell him when he was younger so that he was not used to everything being so normal. You cannot just throw someone into the life of supernatural beings and not expect him to be a little frightened and confused by all of it.

I pull a dark blue, long sleeved turtleneck over my shoulders and pull a pair of tight, black leather pants on before walking out of the room again and entering the living room. I turn the television on and lean back, staring blankly at the screen for a couple of minutes. I hear Ivan bouncing down the stairs before he pops his head in the doorway and smiles when he sees me. He hops towards me, turns around and sit in-between my legs, a towel draped around his shoulders, his hair dripping wet once again. I blink at him for a couple of seconds until I realize what he wants me to do. I smile and laugh before happily complying. I pick up the towel and start to dry his hair gently. He lifts his hands up and wraps his fingers around my wrists so he can follow the movement of my arms.

Once I finish drying his hair, I throw the towel somewhere behind me, not really caring where it lands. Ivan continues to sit in front of me so I wrap my arms around his waist, pulling him back slightly so the back of his head is leaning against my chest. I rest my chin on top of his head and we watch television, even though I am sure that neither of us are actually paying attention. Ivan turns around and looks up at me after a moment. "Um…can we go somewhere, Robin?" I nod and he stands up, holding out his hand for me to take. I smile and take his hand, leading him to the door.

After we put our shoes and coats on, we walk out into the night air, Ivan taking my hand again and leading me down the street, toward the park. As we walk along the paths through the park, Ivan keeps the conversation up, taking about some of his favorite bands that I should listen to sometime. To make sure that I am paying attention to him, he adds something funny and completely off topic here and there.

He blinks up at me, swinging our joined hands as we walk, "…and then Gerald went sliding down the stairs on his mattress to try to impress Jasmine." I turn to him.

"What does that have to do with…L'ArcEnCiel, was it?" He laughs, takes my other hand in his and we spin around until my back bumps into a tree. Ivan smiles up at me and slips his arms around my neck, lifting himself up on tiptoes and kissing my chin. I wrap my arms around his waist, holding him up and pulling him closer to me as I close my eyes. I feel his lips brush against my cheek and then he turns around, lowering himself and laughing as I groan.

"You really enjoy teasing me like that, don't you?"

"Only because you get so disappointed, Robin. If you want to kiss me, you should just do it." Before I can do or say anything, he takes my hand again and drags me away from the tree, leading me to the entrance of the park. "I really like spending time with you, Robin. You are different from anyone else. I like that." I smile after him but pause, pulling him towards me and drawing him into a hug.

"_Te amo_." I whisper into his ear. I doubt he will understand but I need to say it, I need to hear myself telling him this. I do love him, as much as anyone can ever love someone, maybe even more than that. This feeling is just so strong. I want to be with him for as long as time will allow. I want to be the reason he smiles, I mean really smiles because he is happy to be with me, happy to just be in my presence. I have never felt this before and I do not think that anyone will make me feel the way he makes me feel. He has stolen my heart.

"S-sorry, I don't know what you said." I smile and pull away from him.

"I'll tell you later." He starts to pout but I lean down and kiss his nose, winking at him as I pull away again. "Come on, Ivan."

"Uh…Robin?" I stop again and look back at him. He looks at his feet, shuffling them now and then before he looks up at me again, his cheeks red, "Could you…um…you wouldn't mind…carrying me?" I smirk and nod, leaning down slightly, I sweep him off his feet, his arms wrapping around my neck as I lift him off the ground.

"Is this how you want me to carry you?" He nods, leaning his head against my shoulder as he watches me. I smirk, "Hang on tight." I bend my knees slightly and kick off the ground, leaping into the air and landing gracefully on a rooftop. Ivan yelps and tightens his hold on my neck. "You all right?"

"Y-yeah…just a little surprised is all." I nod and jump to the next roof, quickly reaching my house in a matter of seconds. I leap to the ground and turn to the door, opening it with my mind before stepping inside and closing the door in the same manner that I had opened it. I set Ivan on the ground and he starts to sway before I grab onto his shoulders to steady him.

"I didn't know you could do that."

"Yeah, there are a lot of things that you do not know about vampires. I should tell you everything before you return to the academy." He leans forward, pressing his ear to my chest.

"Why do you have a heartbeat? I mean, vampires are supposed to be…dead, right." I sigh and steer him into the kitchen, pushing him down into one of the chairs before moving to the counter and leaning back against it.

"Aside from the part that we are immortal, impervious to everything apart from fire and sunlight, we are pretty human. We live, we breathe, we can eat mortal food if we want to, and some of the older vampires do just that. Our sense are strong when we are younger but the older you get…the more you begin to lose some of your senses, that is why some of the older vampires kill themselves mainly by stepping out into the sun or seeking lighting themselves on fire." I lift myself onto the countertop and wait for this to sink in. "Everything you were told about vampires is not true, well everything that you see in the old movies. I can see my reflection, I can cross water and I have actually have a weird fetish for crucifixes." I pull on the chain under my shirt and show him a silver cross. "This belonged to my older sister, Lupe. I am surprised that it has lasted this long. She gave it to me before she died, telling me that she wanted me to have it." I gaze down at the cross before letting it fall to my chest.

"I am sorry…it must have been hard to watch your sister grow old while you remained the same age…" I shake my head.

"It wasn't like that. I was still human when she died. I was born during the bubonic plague. It took my siblings but left me…" I pause at the memory and close my eyes, "But…I do not want to talk about that right now. I can tell you that later and I promise one day…I will tell you everything."

"I'd like that." I smile and slip off the counter.

"So, what do you want to eat?" He hops off his chair and bounces toward me.

"I say…we should eat…sashimi!" I blink.  
  
"Sashimi? What's sashimi?" He laughs.

"Yep, you are defiantly not from Japan. Here, I will show you how to make it. My aunt taught Susa and me how to make it when we were younger. We nearly burned the house down but we did learn how to make it before the fire department came."

After we finish making and eating the sashimi, we head upstairs, not wanting to fall asleep on the couch again like we did last night. "So…we're still sleeping together, right?" He asks when we enter my room.

"Unless you want me to sleep on the couch." He climbs onto my bed and lies back down on the covers, turning to me when I sit down as well. He tugs on my sleeve, making me lay down next to him.

"Robin…how old are you?"

"Well, I was turned into a vampire when I was eighteen, so physically I am eighteen still. That is not what you want to know though, is it?" He shakes his head, "I lost track…but I am a little over 990 years old, maybe 1014 counting my years that I was alive. I have seen a lot…and I am not proud of this, but I have killed a lot of people." He sits up and leans over me, his hair tickling my forehead and he leans a little closer.

"But you only kill bad people, I saw it on the news the night I met you. They said that you had been killing people that were involved in some of the major crime lords of Japan and that they had already killed many people before you killed them."

"Even so, that does not give me the right to take their lives away from them." I lift my hand up and place it on his cheek. "I do not take pride in what I am, Ivan, but I know that I cannot change it so I do not try to fight it. I did that once and I know not to make that mistake again…however…" I trail off, turning my eyes away from him but leaving my hand on his cheek.

"However what?" He asks, leaning forward more.

"I might not have to kill anyone anymore, I have not tested it but the force that drove me to kill when I was younger has left me. I cannot even feel it any longer." He perks up.

"So that should mean you do not have to kill anymore, right?" I sigh and remove my hand from his cheek, sitting up slowly.

"It makes me stronger, and I need that strength. The reason that I have not stepped out into the sunlight or set fire to myself is that I am looking for the vampire that made me. He was old when I was alive and I know that he is extremely powerful now, if he is even alive. I know him. He would not have given up this life for anything. He revels in other people's pain. Before he changed me, he killed both of my parents." I shake my head, lowering my eyes to my hands, "There was nothing I could do. I was too frightened. I just sat there, listening to my mother's cries and she begged him not to kill me, to take her instead."

I feel Ivan's hands on either side of my head and he pulls me down, resting my head on his chest as he hugs me. "It's okay, Robin." He whispers, stroking my hair as I had done for him, "You cannot change what happened in the past. Everything happens for a reason. You could not have stopped him even if you had tried and you know that."

"I know…I know that, but still…something he said that night keeps coming back to me. I cannot help but feel that their deaths are my fault." I pull away and watch him. "We should get some sleep now." He looks as if he wants to say something but keeps it to himself, for which I am glad. I am not ready to tell him my past yet. The memories are still so fresh for me, even after so long. This is the most I have told anyone about my past, about what happened the night I was changed into a vampire.

We fall asleep in each other's arms again.

The next three days pass in pretty much the same fashion. We either stay in the house or go out to the park, either way we just talk, not about my past or his, just what we are doing now, happy to be with each other. On the sixth day since he came to stay with me, though, I make a decision. One that I will trust with him and him alone.

After he showers and eats, we move into the living room again and I turn him around before we sit down on the couch. I make him lean against me and I wrap my arms around his waist. "You said you wanted to know more about me?" I whisper, "There are some things that I still cannot talk about but I will tell everything that I am willing to tell you."

"Only what you are comfortable with…"

"I was born in England…which is where I got my accent from, but it is very faint since it has been a while since I was in England last. I had three siblings, one older than me and the two others younger than me, two sister and a brother. Lupe, the one who gave me my necklace, was the oldest. Silas and Amdis were younger than me by a couple of years but the four of us were all people close. It was lot long after I was born that the plague struck with full force. My siblings were the weakest so it effected them the most. I barely ever received an illness when I was alive, I still am not sure why that was.

"…After they died, my parents started to fight more often and my father would always come home drunk." I bite down on my lip before I can continue, "Three months after my eighteenth birthday, my father came home drunk again. This time I tried to intervene and ended up being thrown into my room and he locked the door shut on the outside so I could not get out…

"It was not long before the front door slammed open and someone strange entered the house. He had graceful footsteps, I could hear that through the closed door, even though they were muffled by the wood. He moved toward my father, killing him before turning to my mother." I tilt my head forward, resting my head against Ivan's shoulder. He turns around in my arms and looks at me. I shake my head, "She asked him to spare me, that I was all she had left in the world. He said that the only reason he was there that night because of me, because he wanted to turn me into a vampire so I could carry out his will. He killed my mother and then turned me. I was under his watchful eye every moment after that, but he could not make me obey all of his orders. Soon, he grew tiered of me and then left. I have been trying to find him ever since them, trying to find him so that I can make him pay for killing my mother."

"And even after all these years, you have not been able to find him? Not even a trace of him?" I shake my head sadly.

"Nothing, it is almost as if he vanished from the face of the earth but I have a strong feeling that he is still around. I cannot give up as long as he is alive." Ivan bowed his head before looking back up at me.

"Don't do anything too dangerous, Robin. I do not want to lose you. I…" I place a finger to his lips and smile down at him.

"Shh. Don't say that just yet. Wait a little longer, when you are sure you really want to be with me." He shakes his head and throws his arms around my neck.

"I don't care that you are a vampire, Robin. That is only what you are, not who you are and I care about deeply. Moreover, what happened in your past does not matter. What matters now is the present and the future. I want to be apart of both. No matter what it takes." I hug him and shake my head.

"No matter what it takes, huh?" He pulls away and glances at the clock before he grabs my hand and drags me to the door. He releases my hand and picks up my coat, forcing it over my shoulders and then he drops to his knees, putting my boots on for me and lacing them up. "What are you doing?" He does not answer me, but heads for the door after he gets his shoes on as well.

I grab his hand and pull him back, slipping his jacket over his shoulders and smirking. "Forgetting something?" He smiles happily up at me and loops his arm through mine before we walk out the door. "Okay, Ivan, where are you going?"

"It's a surprise. I'm sure you are going to like it, though." He leads me through the streets for a couple of minutes until we reach…

"That fair?" I gasp, blinking at all the bright lights. Ivan smiles up at me as he hugs my arm and nods. "Uh…so what are we supposed to do here?"

"Have fun, come on!" He pulls me forward and we run around the fairgrounds, riding every single one of the rides until we get to the Farris wheel. I look out the window when we reach the top, "I think I like this ride the most. You can see everything from up here." Ivan scoots closer to me and rests his head on my shoulder. "Thank you for taking me here, Ivan. I did not know what I was missing before I actually came to a place like this. It is a lot of fun. I could have done without everyone staring at us, though."

He laughs, "You should have seen them when I came here with Picard and Garcia. They could not move fast enough to get out of the way of those two. It is hard to keep up with them at a fair. I like coming here with you a lot more, though." I kiss the top of his head and turn back to the window before he can look up at me. He shifts under my arm and I feel his lips on my cheek. "Robin, what does _te amo_ mean?"

"You are just going to have to wait if you want to know so badly. Asking is not going to get you anywhere." He sticks out his tongue and I catch it. "What are you going to do now?" He reaches up and pinches my cheeks. "Ow, ow."

"Leggo."

"You let go." We release each other at the same time, laughing as he throws himself at me. The box starts to rock and someone on the ground yells at us. "We better put this on hold until we get back onto the ground. I would not want us falling out."

"You could save us before we actually hit the ground." He says with a smile, but settles down, leaning against me. "Robin…"  
  
"Yeah?"

"Nothing…" I sigh and smile.

"Ivan."

"Yeah?"  
  
"How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" He pulls away and stares at me for a moment before trying to tickle me. And he succeeds. "I-Ivan! Come on! S-stop! I'm really—haha—ticklish!"

"Good! Here I thought you had something important to say. You are such a dork, Robin!" He yells laughing as I lean against the side of the box to try to get away from him. "Apologize for being an idiot."

"Huh?" I ask through my laughter, "No way! I was just—heh heh—joking around with you! Come on, stop tickling me already!" Just as Ivan climbs on top of me, the ride stops and the door flings open, a very angry man poking his head through the doorway and glaring at us. "Uh…we can explain…"

"If you cannot behave, you have to get off the ride. It is very dangerous to roughhouse on a ride like this. Someone could get hurt. You two have already been warned once. Get off. If you want to ride on this, you will have to come back later, when I actually think you are ready to ride." The man pulls his head out of the doorway again and Ivan climbs off me, laughing.

"What's so funny? We got in trouble." I say, sitting up and smoothing out my shirt before standing up and following him off the ride. He takes my hand again and pulls me through the crowd.

"I know, that was the fun part." We reach the entrance and he turns around, "I have one more place I want to go before we go back to your place, okay?" I nod and he turns away from me again, leading me down the street to a small café. He pushes the door open and a young woman in a French maids uniform bows to us.

"Oh, you're back and you brought a different friend with you this time." She replies, smiling at Ivan. Who is this girl…? I am getting strange vibes from her and her eyes…they are not normal. I narrow my eyes at her as she begins to talk to Ivan. Could she possibly be…? But she does not look to be of my kind. Even so, she could still be dangerous. I should get Ivan out of here but I cannot alert her of the fact that I think she is dangerous. Only one way to do that.

I wrap my arms around Ivan's waist and lean down, nibbling on the edge of his ear. He shivers in my arms and giggles, blushing. I turn to the waitress, smirking with my eyes half-lidded, "If you would please excuse us, we really must be going. We have a lot of things to take care of before the night is through." She smiles and nods, bowing to us again and turning away, walking off in another direction. I steer Ivan out of the café and release him.

"Uh…Robin…" I place my hand on his waist and pull him close, silencing him with by pressing a finger to his lips.

"Not here." I hold out my hand for him and he takes it. I lead the way back to my house and when we arrive, I push him against the wall gently after shutting the door and locking it. "Ivan, I do not want you to go anywhere near that woman for the café ever again, do you understand? I sensed something dangerous from her."

"I understand, I won't go near her." He promises, "What do you think it is?' I pull away, releasing my hold on his shoulders, walking to the living room with him following closely behind me. Before I can sit down, he hugs me from behind. "Are you mad at me, Robin?" I turn around and lean down kissing his forehead.

"It isn't that. I was just worried about your safety. I do not want anything bad to happen to you. You are important to me." He smiles and pushes me back, making me lay back on the couch before he climbs on top of me, resting his chin on my chest.

"Thank you for letting me stay here."

"You already thanked me before." I laugh.

"But it does really mean a lot to me, Robin. I mean, we just met and you are treating me so nice, letting me stay here and taking me out."

"Anything for you, Ivan."

The next six days pass with little change. We spend three days just hanging around the house, going out onto the roof to stargaze and talk until we begin to fall asleep. Then we went out to dinner, only to be kicked out of the restaurant for goofing off and upsetting the other customers. The day after that, I heard that L'ArcEnCiel would be holding a concert in Sendai so I surprised Ivan by taking him to the concert. He really did seem to enjoy that.

I wake up to Ivan poking my nose, probably wondering how many pokes have can get in before I wake up. I grab his wrist without opening my eyes and smirk when I open my eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to wake you up, of course." I sit up and stretch my arms.

"There are other ways of waking me up." He leans towards me.

"Oh really? And what ways are those?"

"I can't tell you that, they are my secrets." He groans, flopping back onto the bed. "Come on, get ready. I want to take you somewhere today." After he takes a shower and eats, we head outside and I hand him my helmet before climbing on the back of my motorcycle. He slips the helmet on, buckles it under his chin and climbs on behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist to hold on.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." I reply before starting the engine and pulling out of the driveway. It takes an hour of so but we finally reach the destination. The beach. The moon is reflecting on the water, turning it a silvery color. Ivan climbs off and pulls the helmet from his head, handing it to me. I smile at his expression as I strap the helmet to the back of my motorcycle and follow him onto the beach. "You have to return to the academy after tomorrow so I thought that I should take you some place nice tonight."

"It's wonderful, Robin." He sits down on the white sand and I sit next to him, looking up at the sky.

"You can see a lot more stars here since it is so far from the city. I've never actually come here before since I was too busy with…" I pause, "You know. I saw it when I first came to Sendai and I have been wanting to come back ever since. I thought that this was the perfect opportunity to come here."

"It is romantic." He leans against me and lets out a sigh, his eyes watching the waves move towards us and away again.

"What would you like to do tomorrow, before I drive you back to the academy?"

"Could we go to a nightclub?" I look down at him, only to see him still watching the waves. "I want to dance with you." I blush, thankful that he is looking out at the waves instead of up at me.

"I guess we could, if you really want to go dancing…"

"And I have decided what I want to do."

"Oh? Have you now? And what is that?"

"I want to become a hunter, not like my father. I want to become better than him, I want to surpass him in everyway possible. I do not want to die and hurt my mother the way he did. I do not want to make people sad by losing. Besides, I still have a lot left I want to do and I refuse to be killed before I do them." I smile and laugh.

"Very optimistic, aren't we?" He simply nods before adding a reply.

"I need to be, thinking pessimistically will only get me depressed and might jinx things for me. As long as I believe I can do it, I know I will be able to pull through somehow. Besides…" He turns to me and smiles, "You are my knight in shining armor."

"I am? Well, I hate to be the barer of bad news, my sweet Ivan, but would your knight in shining armor do this?" I push him to the ground and start tickling him, his laughter chasing the previous silence away. "This is payback for the Farris wheel incident!" He is unable to say anything, his laughter coming out more as I continue to tickle him.

I finally stop and smile down at him. "Well, now that I have had my revenge…it is time for me to rest." He gawks up at me.

"You rest? I should be the one tiered after that." I shake my head and lay back on the sand next to him, my eyes trained on the stars. "Robin…"

"Let's not do that again."

"No, I was wondering…if I ever get caught up in something too big for me…would you come to my rescue?" I watch a flickering blue star for a moment before letting out a sigh and holding my hand up to the sky, cupping a cluster of stars in my hand.

"If it is in my power to do so, I would be there in a heartbeat. I did promise not to let anything bad happen to you, but you cannot rely on me alone. I might not always be there when you need me." I sit up and pull my necklace off, dangling it in front of Ivan's face. "I want you to have this, it means a great deal to me and I know you will take care of it." He takes it hesitantly.

"But Robin…this was your sister's necklace…" I smile and turn away, studying the craters in the moon.

"Before she gave that to me, she told me…that I would one day give it away as well, to the person that meant the most to me. I guess she was telling me that I meant to most to her. I did not understand it then, I still do not see why she gave it to me even now. I had always thought she had given it to me so Father would not try to pawn it off somewhere for money to get beer." If she had not given the necklace to me when she did, he most likely would have done just that. "You are the most important person to me, Ivan. I am never going to meet someone that means more to me than you do."

He sits up and I look back at him, "Thank you, Robin. I understand how important this is to you. I promise to take care of it."

"You better be sure to take care of yourself before that thing. No running into danger if you lose that thing, got it?" He nods and I take the necklace from him, slipping it over his head. It is true. No one has ever mean more to me than Ivan does. I did not think that it was possible to love someone this much…but here I am, loving him as much as I possibly can. I do not know what else I can do except…

"Ivan…you do not want me to kill anymore, do you?" He turns to me, frowning.

"Where did that come from?" I shake my head.

"I need to know…whether you want me to kill anyone else anymore." He bows his head.

"I do not want you to end up like Picard…he admitted that he heard those voices and that he was getting weaker…I do not want you to stop if it is going to hurt you." I smile.

"It might not hurt me. I think I will stop for now, I am strong enough for the moment." He yawns and I lay down again, letting him rest his head on my chest. I play with his hair as he begins to drift to sleep, humming a tune. My eyes begin to lull as well…Somewhere in my head I hear a bell ringing, a warning that I should not be falling asleep here, out in the open. I cannot help it. I am tiered now and the tune deep in Ivan's throat is lulling me to sleep…My eyes shut and I fall asleep.

It feels warm. I hear birds chirping somewhere in the sky overhead and there is a orange light in my eyes. Orange light…I sit up quickly, glad Ivan had rolled over in his sleep. The sun is just rising in the ocean horizon in front of me. Not strange to some but to me…I have not seen the sun in over 900 years without having it hurt. My heart pumps faster in my chest as I begin to panic. I am burning. I have to be burning. I…I have not been able to look at the sun or step into its light since I became a vampire. I look down at my hands only to discover that they are perfectly fine, that I am not burning. "This does not make any sense…" I whisper aloud.

"How come…" I turn to look down at Ivan, still sleeping on, unaware that anything strange is accruing at the moment. Could this be one of the abilities of a hunter? I take a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm my breathing and slow my heart. My first sunset in over 900 years…I should really try to enjoy this. I lean back and watch the sky change colors slowly as the giant orange orb begins to rise into the sky.

Ivan should see this. The colors are wonderful. I am sure the sunset is better to watch, though. I can still remember watching a sunset once with my mother but it had been so long ago. I flop back onto the sand. Well, it is going to be hard to get to sleep again, especially here. I sit up again and take Ivan into my arms, lifting him off the ground carefully before I head back toward my motorcycle.

This should prove interesting. I sit Ivan up on my motorcycle, holding him up with one hand while I struggle to undo the strap that is holding the helmet in place. Once I manage to get it off, I slip it over Ivan's head and then get on, making him sit across my lap. I hope this does not wake him up. I start the engine up and pull out of the parking lot of the beach and drive down the road.

I reach my house without any troubles or waking Ivan. I remove the helmet from his head and toss it over into the grass, not really carrying about it now. I pick him up and walk up to the door, opening it mentally, stepping inside and closing it once more. I sigh and lean back against the door. My life sure has changed since I met Ivan. Change is good, though. I had needed it badly.

I carry Ivan up the stairs and lay him down on my bed, sitting next to him and watching him sleep. He is going to make a great hunter, I can already tell. He is determined and strong and he already has strong powers that most of the advanced hunters take years of training to gain. I must have done something right in life to have him with me now.

I lay down next to him and close my eyes, once again tiered.

Today is the last day Ivan can stay at my house. He said that the other hunters were to return from Nagasaki, which I neglected to tell him was one of the vampire hotspots that I had learned about recently. Ivan and I are already out on the streets, having spent a couple of hours at one nightclub we are on the search for another one.

"Haven't you had enough, Ivan? A lot of people were watching us in the last nightclub, it is sort of embarrassing." He smiles and turns around slipping his hand in my back pocket. I blush and turn my head to the side.

"Oh, come on, Robin, this is the last day I get to stay at your place we need to make it count, right?" I wish he would not say it like that. My mind runs away with the idea and I hold my hand up to my nose before it can start to bleed. He laughs and removes his hand from my pocket. "Come on, I think I saw a nightclub just around the street corner up ahead." He pulls me down the street and sure enough, there is a nightclub not too far away from us as we turn the corner.

"You are going to be the death of me, Ivan." I sigh as we step out onto the dance floor, a fast song already starting. He laughs at this.

"I can't be the death of you if you are already dead." He teases, leaning forward and whispering in my ear so none of the other dancers can overhear. I shake my head and take his hand, pulling him closer and placing my other hand on his waist, dipping him back before pulling him up again, spinning him around.

When he finally agrees to go return to my house with me again, we leave the nightclub, some eyes following us as we walk up the stairs and out onto the crowded streets. Ivan hugs my arm, laughing, "This was the best, Robin! We should really do it again sometime."

"You mean if you keeper allows you to go out with me ever again. I am pretty sure that after this, I am not going to be in his favor." He frowns.

"I guess you are right, but still, he can't keep us apart forever. I can always sneak out again." I smile.

"And here I thought you were a good little boy." He smirks.  
  
"Oh, I am, but I can't be good all the time, can I? Besides, it's so much more fun to be bad." He pulls me down the street and pauses just before the park entrance. "Can we go to the park? We still have time before the sun rises and we can cut right through the park to get to your house." I still have not told him about having seen the sunrise that one day and not being burned. I do not know how to explain it and it might be a onetime only thing.

"Sure." We enter the park and walk around. It is usually deserted around this time and today is no exception. That is why I like coming here so much, especially with Ivan. When we reach the center of the park, I look up at the sky before removing my jacket and placing it on top of Ivan's head.

"What…?" A second later, rain falls down around us, but my jacket keeps Ivan dry. He looks up at me and smiles but stops and just watches me for a long moment. I go to say something to try to break him out of whatever trance he has fallen into but his next actions stop me. He wraps his arms around my neck, lifting himself up and presses his lips to mine, his eyes sliding shut. At first I do not know what to do but as I slowly grow accustomed to the kiss, I loop my arms around his waist, holding him closer to me as I deepen the kiss, parting his lips with my tongue and dipping it inside his mouth. Ivan brings his hands up to my now damp hair, threading his fingers through it.

We remain like that for several minutes before we pull away at the same time, gasping for breath. I place my hand on his cheek, brushing my thumb against his lips. We smile shyly at each other before running the rest of the way back to my house, Ivan throwing both my jacket and his own off as we enter my house. I fumble with the lock as Ivan unbuttons my shirt, pulling it off my shoulders and making it harder for me to lock the door. I give up and lock it mentally. We turn around and hurry up the stairs, we stumble and laugh as I fumble with the buttons of Ivan's shirt before I finally manage to get to the last one as we reach my room.

I push Ivan back toward my bed and he trips when the back of his knees hit the edge of my bed, I hold onto him and lower him to the bed, kissing his forehead as I do so. He lifts his arms up and I pull his shirt off, throwing it somewhere behind me. I kiss his lips and he wraps his arms around my neck again, pulling me closer. I pull away from the kiss, smiling down at him reassuringly before kissing my way down Ivan's chest. I pause when I reach his pants, pulling myself to my knees and fiddling with the button on his pants. "Are you ready for this? Do you really want this, Ivan? Are you really sure you want to be with me?" He grabs my shoulders and pulls me down into a deep kiss. I moan into the kiss and let out a surprised gasp when I feel his hands on my chest, pushing me over and onto the bed.

He climbs on top of me and sits on my stomach, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against main. He smiles and whispers, "I love you, Robin. I only want to stay with you, regardless of what you are. It does not matter as long as you are happy." I smile and pull him down into another kiss, wrapping my arms around his waist as I turn slightly, now lying on top of Ivan.

**-TBC-**

Ivan likes to sit on Robin's stomach… Hmm, I wonder how far I am going to take this into the next chapter. I did not want Ivan to be as innocent as everyone thought he was so I figured that this was the perfect way to get everyone to stop thinking of him as an innocent little boy. I am sure Robin has stopped thinking of him that way ::evil smirk:: I am sure everyone who does not know Latin is wondering what "Te Amo" means. Well, you could wait…but Robin is not going to tell Ivan what it means but you should have been able to figure it out for yourself. If not, it means "I love you." I love Latin and I am so glad I'll be taking it this year. Junior year is going to be the best! Plus, I'm going to be sixteen Let's see…what else? Oh right, Robin counts up in Japanese when he hunts down that younger vampire. I didn't use the regular "Ichi…ni…" because Robin is older and what he used was the traditional way to say the numbers. Also, sorry for the boringness at the beginning. I hate when things repeat and yeah…I got bored and didn't know what to do with it. From here on out, things are going to become a little different. In the next chapter, Ivan starts his training.

I hope everyone liked this chapter and I hope it did not take too long. I am really sorry for the delay. I had the chapter outline ready but the problem was how to tie everything together and then problems in the family kept me away from the computer and…yeah. I'm sorry. Read and Review please! If anyone plays Dark Ages…come see me and we can talk My character name is "Amdis" and I can be found in the town of Mileth. Well…bye! I need my sleep!


	6. Heaven's Light

**Dark Love**

**By**: Padfoot-chan

Wow, this is the first short chapter in a while. I did not have much to do since I changed the whole thing for this chapter and I did want it to be short since I was going to do a dramatic twist in the seventh chapter, Robin's chapter. I wonder what it could be? I know but I certainly am not telling any of you until it happens. I also know where this story is going, surprisingly enough. Some of you may be mad at me for one chapter because of it but keep in mind, Robin and Ivan are my favorite characters. Do you think I would do anything to seriously hurt them.

Anyway, I am thinking of taking down my new Robin/Ivan fanfic **Heavenly War** I was getting interested in it but…it isn't that popular and I think it is a bit of a flop. Also, tell me if I should lower the rating for this back to PG-13 since I am not sure it would be R material.

Some of you may be wondering about **Water and Wind** I am as well. That story has gotten very long, over 100 pages and I still have yet to reach Imil. Fear not, I am not about to abandon it. **Water and Wind **was my first Golden Sun fanfic ever and I love it. I would not be the writer I am today if it were not for that story. It has grown with me and I am very proud of it.

Cuteness abounds in this story ::doesn't have a clue as to what she just said:: I hope that everyone enjoys it.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Golden Sun characters, they belong to Camelot.

**Warning:** Still shonen-ai. Don't like, don't read.

Read and review please! No flames please. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I like have that memorized.

**Chapter 6**: Heaven's Light

I blink the sleep out of my eyes and stare up at the bare ceiling, too tiered to do anything else. For some reason, I feel more tiered now than I did when I went to bed. I sit up and rest my head in my hand, propping my elbow up on my knee. What exactly did happen last night? I glance down and find that I am not wearing a shirt…okay that is sort of normal. I lift the blankets hesitantly before bringing them back quickly. Not normal. That means…Robin and I…Robin and I…

I squeal and throw my hands up into the air, "Yeah!" I hop off the bed and start dancing around the room until I hear Robin clearing his throat from the doorway. I trip and fall onto the ground. "R-Robin! What are you…?" He walks over to me and helps me up, patting the top of my head and ruffling my hair.

"I was just downstairs getting your breakfast ready. I doubt you will be able to eat anything when you first go back to the academy…and after last night…" He blushes and I smile, "Well, I am sure you are hungry. Anyway, I washed your clothes for you. You should take a shower and come down to the kitchen when you're done." I nod as he hands me my clothes and continue to watch him as he turns away, heading toward the door.

"Um…Robin?" He pauses in the doorway and turns around to look at me, keeping his eyes on mine. "Well…I uh…just wanted to…thank you for last night…do you think…we would be able to do that again sometime soon?" His cheeks redden and he stumbles back into the door.

"Uh…um…Well I…I didn't think that you would want to…" He bows his head but quickly turns away, almost slamming into the wall. "I-if you want to…I suppose…I mean…well…I…I should get back downstairs before the food burns." He runs out of the room quickly. I smile, laughing softly to myself. Robin is so cute when he is embarrassed.

I walk into the bathroom, closing the door behind me and setting my clothes down on the counter. I can remember everything that happened last night now. To tell the truth, I never thought I would enjoy doing something like that but I am glad that Robin was the one to…I blush and step into the shower as I turn the water on. It is weird. I only met him a couple of weeks ago, sure, I did spend two weeks with him and only him but even so…I barely know anything about him even now. I know he will tell me everything when he is ready but I feel that he will not get the chance to tell me.

I shake my head, sending droplets of warm water flying from my hair. I am just being paranoid. Nothing bed is going to happen to Robin and I know that I can become strong enough to stand up against any vampire. I can feel a burning power deep inside me and I want to harness that so that I will not have to rely on other people to protect me or come to my rescue. I do not want to worry people. I want to be able to show everyone that I take care of myself.

I wash my hair quickly and step out of the shower, drying off and putting on my clothes before heading downstairs. Robin is sitting at the table, staring out the window at something off in the distance. I walk over to him quietly as possible and lean over his shoulder, putting my hand next to his. "What are you looking at?"

"I can feel something coming, something evil and powerful." He whispers. "I cannot reads its thoughts, though. I have not a clue what it could be. Maybe I am just jumping to conclusions." He sighs and turns away from the window, folding his arms onto the table and resting his chin on his arms. I wrap my arms around his neck and lean again him. "I could be losing my touch."

"Because you have not fed in two weeks?" I ask. "I told you that if it was going to hurt you that I did not want you to stop."

"I do not think it is because I have not fed. I do not hear any of the strange voices that I heard when I first tried to fight what I had to do to survive. This is different. I can feel the power there but I just cannot read its thoughts or determine its location…" He pauses for a long moment, "It might be…someone I know…"

"Someone you know?" He sits up and I pull away as he turns around, giving me a smile.

"Forget about it, I am sure it is just nothing. Now you need to eat." I takes me by my wrist and makes me sit down in the chair next to him. "I do not know when you will be allowed to leave the academy again, but I do not want you sneaking out again, okay? It could be dangerous for you. Once you start the training, vampires from all over Sendai, the ones that are here that is, will know what you are and they might even come after you. I will come to see you when I can. Hopefully no one will sense me when I do go to visit you." I look up at him as he says this.

"I don't want you to get into any trouble, especially not with Garcia. We can just meet somewhere outside of the academy. Wouldn't that be better? Then you could take me back here…" He stops me, shaking his head.

"The academy is safe, no vampire can see it unless one of the hunters allows it. That was how I am able to see it, because you wanted me to come get you. Anyway, just stay in the academy unless one of the other hunters accompanies you, it would be safest to travel in groups. Besides, you are going to be so busy with training that you won't have time to miss me much."

"I doubt that." I start eating again as he continues to watch me. It is a little unnerving but I allow him to do it. I know why he is watching me, this is important to him; he wants to watch me while he can. Neither of us knows when we will be able to see each other again. Garcia is such a hypocrite. He is with a vampire himself and he says I cannot be with Robin because he is a vampire. Robin is nice, why can't he just see that?

"Do I really have to leave today, Robin?" I ask, looking up from my food again

He laughs, "Yes, you have to leave today, Ivan. You have been away from the academy long enough and you need to start training to become a hunter. Besides, the longer you wait, the more time it will give for the hunters to come looking for you. The hunters that you said left for Nagasaki should have come back by now unless there was trouble. I can go see if you want me to." I grab his arm as he goes to stand up.

"I don't you want you to leave Sendai without me." I feel pathetic for asking this of him but I want us to be in the same town at the very least, not being in the same room as him is hard enough. I have gotten used to him being right beside me, going back to the academy is going to be a big change after these past couple of weeks. 

He sighs and pulls me to his chest, wrapping his arms around my back. "What do you say to us…taking one last ride of the Farris wheel before I take you back to the academy? The fair is still in town and I am sure I can convince the person in charge of the Farris wheel that we are mature enough to handle riding on it without shaking the box." I smile and bury my face in his chest.

"I'd like that."

Once I finish eating, Robin and I head out of his house and to the fairgrounds in Robin's sports car. Instead of the creepy man from the other night, a night woman in her late forties is standing in front of the gate, taking people's tickets as they walk through. She smiles at us as we hand her our tickets.

"Aw, aren't you two a cute couple." I blush and turn away, just catching Robin's flushed cheeks out of the corner of my eye before he thanks for woman and drags me toward the open box, closing the door behind us. I lean against Robin as we sit in the box, looping my arm through his.

"Robin, when are you going to tell me what you said in the part the other night?" He turns his gaze to the window as the ride starts, avoiding my eye.

"I…I want to wait just a little while longer. I don't know if I can tell you what it means just yet. However, I promise that I will tell you." I nod and close my eyes.

I do not want this to end. I do not want to go back to the academy even though I know I should. Garcia and the others are probably so worried about me. I cannot blame them for being worried…they think Robin is dangerous and I just ran away from the academy like that, only leaving a note on my computer. It was a little immature of me but they had been keeping such a big truth from me. I am sure any one of them would have done the same thing. I think…

The ride stops with us at the top and I feel Robin lean away from me, looking out the window more. I lean around him and look out the window as well. "There are a lot of lights, the buildings are almost glowing. I liked the beach better, though. It was peaceful, kind of like the way it is back at my mom's lighthouse and there were a lot of stars. I'd like to go back there again sometime." He laughs.

"As long as we don't fall asleep on the beach again."

"Are you sure I have to go back to the academy today?" He ruffles my hair.

"You have been away long enough as it is, if you stay away any longer, you are going to get a worse punishment. You do not want to keep your friends worried about you, do you?" I shrug my shoulders and he kisses my cheek. "Come now, Ivan. Tell me the truth."

I sigh and lean back against the seat, "I do not want to keep them worried any longer but I still don't want to leave you."  
  
"I'm a big vampire, Ivan, I can take care of myself." He remarks, smirking. I hit his arm playfully.

"Not like that…I have gotten used to waking up next to you…" The ride starts up again, the box jerking slightly and swinging back and forth as the wheel turns slowly. "I know that I have to go back to the academy, though. You are right…I need to start my training as soon as possible. I am sure they are going to put me through my paces for this."

"I am sure you will do just fine. Try not to think about it too much or you will make yourself nervous." He leans toward me, his breath tickling my neck, "We can smell fear." He presses his lips to my neck, slipping his arms around my back.

"Y-you're kidding me, right?" He laughs as he pulls away from my neck and kisses my lips lightly.

"I guess I am but you never know." He traces a finger down my chest lightly and I shiver at the touch. "It is all in your blood, your emotions at that moment." His other hand goes to my neck, running two fingers up and down it slightly.

"St-stop." I whisper. He freezes and looks at me, confused. "We…we've stopped. Unless you want to go again, we should get going."

"Now you want to get going?" He asks smirking.

"It's not that, it's just—" Before I can finish, he picks me up and walks out of the ride still carrying me. "Robin…"

"I'll try to see you tomorrow night. I could be there a little after sundown. I cannot guarantee anything but since I have nothing else to do…"

"Oh, so I'm your go to boy for a release from boredom." He laughs and finally sets me down on the ground again, looping his arm around my shoulder. "You aren't going to do anything reckless while I am gone, are you? Like going after your creator or anything?" He smiles and laughs weakly, "Because if you are, I am going with you and if you don't let me, I'll never forgive you."

He stops laughing and looks at me, "Ivan…"  
  
"I'm serious, Robin, I'm apart of your life now and you cannot protect me from this. If he is still out there, if he finds out about me and finds out that you want revenge…he may use me against you." He places his hands on my shoulders and pulls me to his chest, leaning down to rest his chin on the top of my head.

"I know…that's what scares me so much. I did not want anyone getting mixed up in my life because I did not want anyone else to get hurt, especially not in the way that I was." He shakes his head, "When I saw you, though…I don't know, something about you was different from anyone else that I have ever met. There was something in your eyes, this special drive…a burning passion to live. I…I wanted so much to be a part of that, to be a part of you. I thought that…you would be able to save me from this, from me losing myself any further. I guess I was right. You are right, if he does find out about you, he will most likely come after you. You are everything to me, Ivan, I do not want to see you hurt."

"I know…but I don't want to see you hurt either. You have to let me do this. I know after I train, I will be able to take care of myself." He pulls away and holds my chin in his hand, tilting my head back slightly so he could look into my eyes better.

"Don't be so cocky. Training to become a hunter is hard. Some of the older vampires are smarter that the others, they will try to trick you. That vampire friend of yours and I are the only vampires you can trust, do you understand?" I nod, "Good, now come on, we need to get you back to the academy." He takes my hand and leads me back to his car, opening and holding the door open for me before moving to the opposite side of the car. I lean over and unlock the door for him. He smiles at me as he opens the door and sits down. "Damn, I really wish you didn't have to go back to the academy."

"You're that one making me go back."

"Because you have to go back to the academy but you are really making it hard for me to do this." I smile innocently up at him, hoping that would make it worse. He groans and turns away from me, starting the car. We reach the academy in a couple of minutes and I lean forward, looking up at the intimidating building. "Do you want me to go in with you?" I turn to see him watching me.

"No, I think that this is going to be hard enough for me as it is, the last thing I need is you coming in with me. Garcia would be so pissed off…" I sigh and look back at the house one last time before turning to him again, "Uh…one last kiss before I am sentenced to be grounded for the rest of my life?" He smiles and leans towards me, grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me forward. This kiss is more intense, like the one we had last night.

I slip my arms around his neck before bringing my hands up into his hair, tangling my fingers through the soft locks. He deepens the kiss, opening my mouth with his and pushing his tongue past my lips. He pulls away a few moments later, leaving me slightly dazed. "You…you better go now." I hug him one last time before turning quickly and getting out of the car. "Ivan, wait." I turn around and he throws me a black shirt, his black shirt.

"What…? Why are you giving me your shirt?" He smiles and winks at me.

"You said it smells like me, right? I just thought you could use that to help you get through your training. Why do you think there are so few hunters anymore? It's because very few of them can get through the training." That does not help my spirits much. I hug his shirt to my chest. I can do this. I know I can. This is what I want from life. There is nothing else for me.

"Thank you, Robin." He nods and we watch each other for a long moment before he smirks.

"Are you going to get out of the road or do you want someone to run over you before you can get yelled at." I blush, wave to him and turn away quickly, running through the gates and up the drive. I am dead meat. My only chance to get out of this with my hearing intact is if Garcia is in a good mood. Please let him be in a good mood.

I slip into the house quietly as possible. The lights in the common room are on and I can hear the gentle crackling of the fire as I edge closer to the doorway. I lean around the corner and duck back around quickly. Okay…Garcia should be in a good mood after that! Wow…Picard and him…why can't they just get a room like normal people. "St-stop…" That's Picard's voice, "I sense Ivan."

"What? Where is he?" Garcia.

"Ivan, come here." I groan and walk into the common room, standing in the middle of the doorway, looking at the ground to avoid their eyes. "Where have you been for the past two weeks? We were all worried sick about you. The others are still in Nagasaki and we did not want them to worry and we could not pull them away from their mission so we could not start looking for you."

"I…I went to Fukui to see my mother. I needed to figure some things out but I…I want to become a hunter now. I know I can do it if you guys just give me a chance. I'll be good, I promise." Garcia stands up and walks over to me. I flinch as he raises his hand only to feel his palm on my cheek.

"Tch, like I would ever hit family. Ivan, do you know what you are asking? You did not show that you were worthy of becoming a hunter by running away from the academy like that. You put yourself in danger. You could have gotten killed or something." I look up at him, narrowing my eyes.

"You would have done the same, Garcia. I know that you would have done what I did if you found out that your life…all of your life had been a lie and that you father was killed by a vampire instead of in a plane crash." I shake my head from side to side, backing away from him, "Was it fair to lie to me about this? About all of this? Every little thing that I believe in was a lie. Everyone around me was lying to me? Did you guys laugh about it when I wasn't around? How stupid I was to believe whatever you guys told me? Only one person has never lied to me in my life and that is Robin! That is why…"

Garcia's eyes widen and I bow my head again. "You were with him this whole time, weren't you?"

"Garcia, this is not the time." Picard rises from his seat and moves between Garcia and I. "Just be happy that Ivan is safe and sound. He knows the truth now, we can no longer protect him from this life. He wants to become a hunter, like his father. The least you can do is give this to him." Picard turns away from him and pulls me into a hug. "We were so worried about you, Ivan. Never do anything like that again, understand?" I nod and he releases me. "Come on, let's tell Garcia's parents that you're back and that you want to become a hunter. Does your mother know about this yet?" 

"I think she suspects…" I mutter, glancing back at Garcia as Picard steers me out of the room. He sighs and follows us, ruffling my hair as he falls into step next to Picard. "So…you guys aren't mad at me?"

"I guess not, as long as you never pull something like that again."

"You know…Robin really is a nice guy, if you would just give him a chance…" Garcia interrupts me.

"One thing at a time, Ivan. I still do not trust that guy. As far as I am concerned, Picard is the only vampire we can trust. All others are just mindless bloodsucking monsters." Picard rolls his eyes and whacks Garcia's arm. "I said you were the only one we could trust."

"My master was nice, he allowed me to see my last sunset before he turned me. Do not throw him in with all the other vampires and we are not mindless, you twit." Garcia waves his hand.

"Sorry that I offended you."  
  
"Think before you speak, my love, or you will become like Gerald." Garcia gasps and mocks a hurt face, leaning heavily against Picard.

"That hurts, Picard, that really hurts. I seriously do not know what my sister sees in that guy. I know that we've been friends since we were little but still…he's always been a bit of an idiot." I shake my head but something that Picard says still lingers in my mind.

"Picard…you said that your maker allowed you to see your last sunset…and vampires are burned by the sunlight, right?" He nods, "But I've seen you out in the sun all the time and it never seemed to bother you at all."

He smiles and glances over at Garcia, "About that…if a vampire spends a lot of time with a hunter, they are able to do things they normally would be unable to do. I can stay out in sunlight without it hurting me when I am near Garcia and sometimes even fire does not affect me. Why do you bring that up?"

"J-just something I heard. Plus, I should know the limitations of vampires if I am going to become a hunter, right? I was just wondering how you could walk around in daylight when I heard that the sunlight is supposed to burn vampires. Something about heaven's light repelling creatures of darkness." Oh, crap. Did I just say what I think I said…? Maybe he will not notice.

Picard blinks at me, pausing in the hallway, "Yes…but how did you know that? That is part of an old book on vampires…it was a legend passed down by word of mouth until someone wrote the tale down…The book was destroyed a while back, only vampire over a hundred years know about it now." I sweatdrop as they both give me an odd look.

"C-can't keep your parents waiting, right?" I dash off down the hall before they can say anything, skidding around the corner and slamming into Garcia's dad.

"Ivan…where have you been?"

"Uh…I went to visit my mother."  
  
"Your mother phoned two weeks ago to say that you were there and that you had just left." Trust Mom to do something like that. I sigh. Maybe I should tell them the truth. Sure, I was just spending the past two weeks with a vampire over 1000 years old and we just made love the other night. Yes, that would get them to forgive me for sure.

"I was staying at a friend's house. I knew you would be worried but I had some thinking to do before I was ready to come back. I made up my mind, what I want to do now. I want to follow my father's example and become a hunter. Unlike my father, however, I will not allow myself to die at the hands of a vampire. I know I will be stronger than that. I can do this. Will you allow me to train at the academy, under your tutelage?"

He watches me for a moment, as if I were some strange creature from another planet that just spoke English. He smiles and ruffles my hair, "I was wondering when the day would come when you would ask to follow in your father's footsteps. Very well, you can train to become a hunter, but I will not be the one teaching you. Garcia is the best hunter I have ever seen, far better than I am. He knows all the skills a hunter will ever need to know. You start your training tomorrow morning." I nod, "I suggest you get to bed now, you need to wake up early tomorrow." 

"Thank you." Garcia and Picard had walked up behinds us while we were talking; both keeping quiet while Garcia's father was speaking.

"Father, that's it? There is still more to discuss, like where he really has been for the past two weeks." I smile and laugh.

"It is as I told your father, Garcia, I was staying at a friend's house." I wave to them and turn on my heel, walking up the steps and to my room. That was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I did let some things slip but they will find out in the end. It is all going to be worth it anyway. I hug Robin's shirt to my shirt, lifting it to my face and taking a deep breath. "It still smells like him."

**-TBC-**

Another chapter down, hopefully many more to go. I was thinking that I might not touch any other story until I finish this one. I won't say it because I don't want to jinx it or anything but I am thinking about it. I really enjoy writing this story. It's a lot of fun for me, especially since there are not a lot of Robin/Ivan stories out there. I do not understand why either, Robin and Ivan are very fluffy together.

I know that this chapter title has little to do with the actual story but I was thinking about adding some of the training parts but...that didn't work out so I just left the title as is. Sorry about that. One last thing before I go. Alex is going to be in the next chapter Read and review please!


	7. Midnight Tryst

**Dark Love**

**By: **Padfoot-chan

I changed the rating back to **PG-13** but I might change it back again depending. I am sorry if this confuses anyone or makes it hard for people to find this story. I guess you could just check "Just In" or type my name in "Search" and then look for **Dark Love** in my profile to see if I updated or not.

Thank you for the reviews everyone, you know how much I love them. I enjoy hearing what everyone has to say about **Dark Love**.

I am so hungry. I did not eat at all yesterday and I have yet to eat today. As soon as I get off the computer, I am heading into the kitchen to pig out…or pass out. I might be too tiered to eat anything. I wonder if other writers to this. My editor is so going to love me. "Okami! Get your ass off that PS2 and get back to work!" "Mao. I don't want to, editor-sensei. Go away and come back tomorrow. Pick up the trash on your way out." "…" Heh heh.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Golden Sun characters, they belong to Camelot.

**Warning:** Still shonen-ai. Don't like, don't read.

Read and review please! No flames please. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

**Chapter 7:** Midnight Tryst

He lets out a sigh and looks out at the giant mansion once before turning back to me, a pleading look in his amethyst eyes, "Uh…one last kiss before I am sentenced to be grounded for the rest of my life?" How could I say no to an invitation like that? I smile at him and lean forward, grabbing the back of my neck gently and pulling him towards me. I am not going to see him until tomorrow night; I might as well make this kiss count.

I feel him slip his arms around my neck before he tangles his fingers through my hair. I deepen the kiss, parting his lips with my own and slipping my tongue inside of his mouth, searching the warm caverns for a long moment. I finally pull away from him, gasping for breath. "You…you better go now." I whisper breathily. He hugs me one last time before turning quickly and getting out of the car. I watch him for a second before slipping off my jacket and undoing my shirt. "Ivan, wait." He turns around as I call out to him and I throw my shirt to him. He catches it out of reflex and blinks down at the article of clothing as I shrug my jacket on again.

"What…? Why are you giving me your shirt?" I smirk at him and wink.

"You said it smells like me, right? I just thought you could use that to help you get through your training. Why do you think there are so few hunters anymore? It's because very few of them can get through the training." It may not lift his spirits but it is the truth and right now, that is what Ivan needs to hear. He does not need to hear anything else. He hugs my shirt to his chest and smiles at me.

"Thank you, Robin." I nod and watch him, waiting for him to turn and run to the academy but when he does not move from the spot, I smirk at him again.

"Are you going to get out of the road or do you want someone to run over you before you can get yelled at." He blushes at this, waves to me and runs off to the academy. I watch him until he is through the doors of the academy before turning back to the steering wheel and starting up my car again. Tonight is going to be boring. Maybe I could read a book…slowly. I let out a sigh and set out for my house.

I park my car in the garage next to my motorcycle before heading up the sidewalk to my door. As I slip the key into the keyhole, I pause. Something feels different. The night air feels tense, as if something dangerous is about. I press my hand against the door and close my eyes, searching for something, anything out of the ordinary. Nothing. Everything feels the same as it always does. I search for the girl from the café and find her aura still at the café, serving her customers as always.

Why do I feel this pain gripping my heart? A force tearing at my very soul, almost brining me to my knees. I struggle to maintain control over my breathing as I pull away from the door; turning the key in the lock and throwing the door open, kicking it close behind me. I have to get my mind off whatever that was. I remove my coat, hanging it up on the coat rack before I walk through the darkened house and up the stairs. I need to think of something distracting…

Ivan. I feel my stomach flutter at the thought of him and I smile to myself. I still cannot believe that he would actually want to be with me and he let me…make love to him and he even wants to do it again. I turn and fall backwards onto my bed, smiling up at the ceiling. Ivan is an amazing person. I am glad that we bumped into each other that one night. I have something far better to live for now. I can forget all about my maker…I know I can. Mother would not have wanted me to throw my life away by trying to seek revenge for her death. She gave her life so I could live. I was foolish to think that she died just so that I could live for revenge and most likely get killed in the process.

I run my tongue on the bottom of my lips. Ivan's taste still lingers there from our last kiss. I bring my hand to my lips, touching them lightly. It has only been thirty minutes and I want to see him. I need to get a hold of myself or I am sure I will snap.

"I know what you are thinking." My eyes widen and I sit up quickly, looking around my room frantically until my eyes fall on a dark figure leaning against the wall in the corner of the room. He has long, pale blue hair draping over his shoulders and ice-blue eyes, similar to my own. "His taste is still on your lips. You revel in his mortal taste, the feel of his mortal body against yours. That tight, warm space when you slide inside of him…and claimed him as only a lover can."

"Alex." I spat the name out as if it were a vile taste on my lips. After all these years of searching, after all these years of nothing but dead ends he suddenly appears in my room, mere inches from me as soon I as decide not to go against him. That is typical of him. He has not changed a bit.

He smiles at me with that all-knowing smile, telling me I am weaker than he is, I know less than him. I know nothing about anything, especially about our race. Our foul, damned race. Damned to walk this filthy earth for the rest of eternity until someone brings us crashing to our knees. Maybe he is right. I do know nothing about our race, but I do know about the world, about the human race, about more important things than the vampires. None of this matters. This past game of cat and mouse. It was only I who was chasing after him and it did not matter how hard I tried. He would always be a step ahead of me, laughing at me as I struggled to catch up. That is all over now.

"Such a mean look, Robin. I would think that you would be happy to see me after all these years. I am the one who gave you this life. In a sense…I am your god, am I not?" I narrow my eyes at him. So conceited. His ego has grown over these years if nothing else. He needs to be beaten one of these days, to put him in his place and deflate ego of his. "You should really be thanking me. If it had not been for me, you would have never met that little boy of yours. You would never have experienced a love so deep that it threatens to consume you, ever inch of your body until you no longer care and just allow yourself to be swept away with the emotion. A sheer ecstasy never before experienced."

What is this…? What is he saying? He speaks as if he himself after felt the emotions that I feel for Ivan…for another person. How can that be? Whom could he have fallen in love with? If someone had told me it was possible for Alex to fall in love with someone, an actual living, breathing person, I would have fallen to the ground laughing right there.

"That is how we love when we do fall in love for the person we have been waiting for…all of our lives. It is rather pathetic…to think that you have to become this…cold thing dependent upon blood before you can find that one person you want to spend the rest of your life with." He lifts his hand up to his face, studying it in the moonlight. It is that he has changed…? I would have never thought it possible for him to change. I mean…he is Alex after all, the man who killed both of my parents before stealing my natural life away from me. What could have made him change?

He lowers his hand and smirks at me, "Are you still going to chase after me, Robin? After you met your lover? I am far stronger than you, far stronger than you shall ever become. If you fight you, I assure you, you shall not win the battle. I made you, do not think I can not as easily take that life away." He waits patiently for my answer, standing before me as still as if he were a statue, barely breathing or even moving.

"If you provoke me, if you kill anyone in Sendai, I will come after you. The hunters do not know you are here, as far as they know, I am the oldest vampire around. I do not need you besmirching my name for your own sick, twisted little pleasures. Do you understand? I want you out of Sendai as soon as possible. I have no more reason to hunt you now." Was it a threat? I do not know myself but I did know that I wanted him out of Sendai and I wanted him out now. He smirks at me.

"Hmm? Is that so? Very well then. I am sure our paths will cross again very soon, Robin. Be sure to take care in the mean time. I will be the one to kill you, no one else." He bows his head to me and in a flash, far faster than even my eyes can follow, me is out of my room. A door opening and closing downstairs tells me that he is soon out of my house as well.

I fall back onto my bed with a sigh. All that hard work for nothing. I could have been doing so much more instead of searching for him, just running towards my death when I should have been running away from it. Even if it were blindly, I should have been running from him. Now what? Where does that leave us now? He is not the type of person to just drop something, especially not me. As far as I know I am the only vampire around that, he has ever created. As much as I hate to admit it, we have a special tie that binds us together.

I have a feeling that this is not over yet, not by a long shot. He will not give up until he wins. Well, I will not give up until he finally dies or learns his place in this world. He is not as great as he thinks he is. How would one measure greatness? From the power that the wield, from the things that you do or the people that you keep close to you. Who will be the victor in this battle, Alex? Will it be you or me? Only time will tell now. I know I am not strong enough to fight you and win on my own but I am not alone. Not anymore. I have someone to be my strength.

What do you have? A past love that you still pine over. A mortal lover who died long ago, as you merely watched her life wilt away like a dying flower. It is scary to think that…I will have to do so with Ivan…unless he asks me to…I shake my head rolling over and burying my face in the rumpled sheets of my bed. That is unthinkable. Even if he asked, I would not do that to him, I would not put him through this life only so that he could be with me. It would be selfish of me…would it not? On the other hand, would it in fact be selfish of me to withhold this from him? If he were to ask me and truly want it perhaps, I could give him what he wants.

I clutch a handful of the bed sheet in my fists, breathing in deeply. Ivan's scent still lingers of them. I smile and roll over, still holding onto the sheets, brining them up to my nose and taking another deep breath. I wish it was tomorrow night already. I want to see him now…

"Ivan…I miss you already."

**-TBC-**

I was thinking about having Robin go to the academy in this chapter and visiting Ivan but I still need to show what Ivan does on his first day of training and I did not want to repeat anything so I just decided to cut it off here. No, Alex is not in love with Garcia. I'm having Alex and Garcia as far from each other as possible in this. I don't need Garcia jumping on Alex and trying to kill him. Besides, Alex hates Robin far more. He doesn't hate Garcia at all…not in my opinion. Garcia is the one that dislikes Alex…but I don't think he hates him…I think they could actually become friends. Of course Alex hates Robin. After all, Robin is the one who took the power of the Mars Star, so he has part of the power of Golden Sun, the power that Alex needs to control it ::is really into this:: I could talk about that all day but I will stop here.

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I apologize for it being so short. Read and review please!


	8. Misunderstanding

**Dark Love**

**By: **Padfoot-chan

Someone stop me please. How many chapters have I written today? It must have been three or two already and I have a feeling that I am going to try for a fourth chapter before I get off the computer to watch .hack. It must be because I am listening to Gackt-sama and Hyde-sama. Whatever it is, I cannot stop writing and my heart is pounding ::shakes head:: and I do not know why. I need water before I die.

**Maniac-Miko:** I think the reason I am typing so fast is because I try not to think too much about it until I am done, just get all my ideas out and worry about it later. This is the fastest I have ever updated a story. I swear, I am hyped up on sugar or something of the sort. I guess reading yaoi manga while listening to two of my favorite J-Rockers does that to me. Also, thanks for the review and keeping up with my quick updates XD

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Golden Sun characters, they belong to Camelot.

**Warning:** Still shonen-ai. Don't like, don't read.

Read and review please! No flames please. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

**Chapter 8:** Misunderstanding

I turn over in my bed, grabbing onto my pillow and pulling it to my chest. This really is not working. I cannot get to sleep. I have gotten used to falling asleep next to Robin after an hour or more of talking, sometimes it is not even very important, just something random. Now, it is 12 in the morning and I am wide-awake. I kick off the blankets and turn again, throwing my pillow to the floor. I want to know what Robin is doing right now.

I sit up and look out the window. I could sneak out and run to his house…but I promised him that I would not leave the academy. He might be happy to see me at first but I know he would be mad at me for breaking my promise. I groan and fall back onto my bed, rolling over onto my stomach and beating my fists into the bed, screaming into my pillow. I slump my shoulders and try to concentrate on my breathing, evening it out. My mind keeps drifting to other things, mainly Robin. No matter how hard I try, I cannot get him off my mind.

I lift myself up off the bed slightly and pull the necklace he gave me from his shirt, which I am now wearing. It feels heavy and cool in my hand, there are intricate engravings on the front and back but the lighting is poor and I cannot study them. It is strange to think that only a couple of weeks ago I was in Hong Kong, worrying about the funeral preparations for my grandmother. Everything is moving so quickly. The time I spent with Robin helped a lot. I just needed to get away from all of this to collect my sanity again. Of course, now I know I am in love with him and I know Garcia hates him…maybe it made things a little worse than they already were.

I lay down on my bed again, my eyes traveling over the edges of the cross in my hand. It is a strange crucifix; almost like a key. I turn it over and hold it closer to my face. Milky light from the moon catches on the cross, the light bouncing off the metal and onto my face. I blink at it for a moment and then there is a knock on my door. "Ivan, are you still awake?" I drop the chain back into my shirt and turn around as the door opens and Picard walks in, wearing a long nightshirt and pajama pants going a little past his knees. "I thought I heard you scream."

"S-sorry, I didn't wake you and Garcia, did I?" He smiles and closes the door shut behind him before he walks over to me and sits on the edge of my bed.

"No, he is sound asleep. The only reason I heard you was because I have heightened senses…plus I could not sleep. I am a little worried about you, Ivan." I sigh and lay on my stomach next to him. He ruffles my hair, "I have never met Robin before but he is quite famous amongst the vampires. His master is one of the oldest vampires ever and before Robin, he never made a vampire before."

"Which means a lot of his power was transferred to Robin, right?"

"In a sense…" He smiles down at him, his golden eyes glowing in the darkened room, "So, you did spend the past two weeks at Robin's house." I nod, blushing, "I see. So did you two…"

"Picard! I don't think that that is any of your business!" I gasp, sitting up quickly and tossing my pillow at him. "That is personal information and I would like to keep it between Robin and me." He laughs, holding his hands up in defense.

"I am sorry, Ivan. I did not think that it would hurt to ask. Ah, so defensive…must have been really good then, eh?" I groan and bury my head in my bed. "Garcia is just worried about your safety, you know. He does not know Robin either and he has had some bad experiences with vampires. He was with your father when he died, you know?" I look up at Picard, blinking.

"H-he was with my father…when he died?" Picard nods and turns away, looking into the mirror for a second before looking back down at me. "I do not want to be like my father, Picard. I am not going to die on a mission. There are too many people in my life that would be hurt if I were to die. I do not want my mother to cry again. I do not think she could take something like that happening."

"She did fall ill when she heard about her mother being murdered by a vampire."

"Huh? How did she hear about that? The police told me that they only told me about the investigation on my grandmother's death. How did my mother hear about it?"

"It was a secret investigation made just after your grandmother died, no one in the academy heard about it from the people until just recently, six days after you left the academy for Fukui with Robin. We suspected that a vampire killed your grandmother when you told us about how she was murdered. There was no way for us to look into it and…there would be nothing we could do unless the vampire came to Japan so we just decided to let it go for the time being. Then…" He slides off my bed and moves towards to dresser, opening my laptop and turning it on, "A message arrived on your computer from someone in Hong Kong. It was one of the descendants of the very first vampire hunter, he was in China on the trail of one of the older vampires, and we have reason to believe that it might be Robin's master.

"Anyway, he told us all about your grandmother's death and said that whoever she was killed by was one of the older vampires. The bite was much more precise than others."

"So it could be Robin's master, right?"

"We do not know that for sure, Ivan. It could have been Robin himself." What is he saying…? I shake my head but he turns away, looking down at my computer. "He said he would be coming to Japan soon, on the trail of the vampire that killed your grandmother."

"It was not Robin." Picard lets out a sigh and turns around to face me again.

"I know how much you trust him, Ivan. You need to look at the facts, though. He just arrived in Japan recently and he could have possibly stopped in China before he came here. I just do not want you to get hurt. You need to be more careful now." He walks towards the door, "You are going to become a hunter soon and vampires will fear you…they will come after you if you stray too far. Get some rest, Ivan. We need to start your training in a couple of hours."

What is he saying? My eyes begin to water and I feel warm tears trailing down my cheek. I…I do not believe him. Robin would never do anything to hurt me. He does not know Robin. I…I…

I hold my hand to my chest and fall back onto my bed, tears still streaming from my eyes. He could not have killed my grandmother. Mother would have known about it…Robin would have told me if he had killed her or not. I know him. He would have told me. I know he would have told me. There is no way he would not have told me. My breathing becomes labored and the white light from my computer is beginning to irritate me. Damn. Damn all of this. I…I cannot take any of anymore. I grab my pillow and toss it at my laptop, knocking it off my dresser and onto the floor where it snaps in half, the light dying.

"Stupid Picard. I hate you. No one…says things like that about Robin."

I fell as if I am slipping. My head is spinning so fast but everything before me is standing still, nothing is moving except me. I do not like this feeling. I just want everything to stop. I want time to stand still. Why am I shaking? Why am I still crying? I wipe my tears on my pillow. When did life get so complicated? I…want to go back to when I did not know anything but…I do not want to go on without Robin.

I cannot say that. I have to be brave and strong. I will not lose. I cannot lose. I have things to fight for and I refuse to die.

It is strange to think that that would be my last conscious thought that passed through my mind before sleep took me.

Someone is shaking me and yelling for me to wake up. I roll over and bury my face into my pillow and try to go back to sleep only to have someone pick me up and drop me onto the floor. "Hey! What was that for?" I yell, rubbing my back as I sit up slowly. Garcia is standing in front of me, already dressed with his hair tied back in a loose ponytail, thrown over his shoulder. His russet eyes stare at me for a moment before he grabs my collar and drags me across the floor and to my closet, throwing me in.

"Now, when you come out of there, I want you dressed and ready to start training." I blink sleepily up at my clothes.

"Okay…so what you are saying is…when I come out of the closet you want me dressed and ready to go? Wow, I am coming out of the closet. Yeah, and to think, when I woke up, I was straight." I giggle at my stupid joke before lying down at the bottom of my closet and closing my eyes. "Too early for me to be getting up, Garcia."

"Up now, Ivan, or you are grounded."

"Big deal, it isn't like I can go anywhere without a bodyguard anyway." I grumble, standing up and slamming the closet door in his face. I undo the buttons to Robin's shirt; hugging it once before folding it up and setting it on the shelf.

Once I finish dressing, I step out of my closet, fix my bed, comb my hair and then run out of my room, bumping into Picard as soon as I turn to run down the rest of the corridor. I stumble back until the person I ran into grabs my arms and pulls me up. "Be more careful, Ivan." Picard. I glare up at him, yank my arms from his grasp and walk past him. I may be acting immature about this whole thing but I do not want someone talking about Robin like that. He would understand if someone said something bad about Garcia to him. I thought Picard would understand, he is the one I usually go to when I have something that I need to talk about.

I jump the last flight of stairs and am greeted by Garcia's mother, she pulls me to her chest, hugging my tightly. "Oh, Ivan, I was so worried about you. I thought for sure something nasty happened to you while you were gone." I wave my hand at her.

"I-I'm just fine. I should get going now, ma'am, Garcia is supposed to start my training today and I do not want to be late, you know…" I dash off as soon as she releases me. Garcia grabs my collar as I run past a doorway. I groan, "You seriously need to stop doing that."

"Whatever. Follow me. I am going to put you through your paces. First, Heaven's Light, it is a spell to summon fake sunlight at nighttime. It is only to be used as a last resort against powerful vampires. It does not last too long but it is very effective. The reason it is to be used as a last resort is that it takes a lot out of the user. The stronger you get, the more you can use it. I can only use it four or so times before I am completely drained." I nod. "Now, there are a few more things I need to explain to you before you can try your hand a this spell."

"Okay."

Fifteen hours later and twenty or more bruises, I stumble up the stairs and back to my room, flopping onto my bed and struggling to pull my shirt off to get into my nightclothes. I never imagined my whole body could hurt so much at once. "Shoot me down now, God, and get it over with."

"I told you it would be tough." I sit up quickly, regretting the quick movement soon. Robin is kneeling in my window, smiling at me with his elbow propped up on his knee. "Hey, kiddo, you okay?"

"No, I hurt all over." He shakes his head and drops down from the windowsill, closing the window shut behind him. He walks over to me and leans down, kissing my forehead. "I missed you."

"So did I…" He sits down on my bed next to me, studying me for a moment before shaking his head and pulling me up gently. "Lift your arms."

"Eh?"

"I'm taking off your shirt."

"R-Robin…not here." He smirks.

"No, I suppose not but I am merely going to get you into my pajamas…uh, you kids do where pajamas these days, don't you?" I smile and nod, flinching as I do so. "Take it easy." He pulls my shirt off and stands up, searching my room for pajamas.

"I…wore your shirt to bed last night."

"Did you now?" He sounds amused at this. "Do you want to do that again then?" He glances back at me and I nod, pointing to the closet. After a minute of searching, he pulls away again, holding his black shirt in his hand. "I am sure you can dress yourself."

I shake my head and lift my arms up, "Dress me." He laughs at me as he walks back to my bed and slips his shirt onto my arms and buttons it up for me. He sits down next to me again, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me down onto the bed next to him.

I am happy to see him. I really am. I lean forward, pressing my forehead against his chest. Something is holding me back, though. Was it what Picard said? Do I need to prove him wrong by asking Robin if he was in Hong Kong before he came to Sendai…

"R…Robin?" I feel him pull away from me, looking down at me.

"What's wrong? You sound scared. Ivan?"

"Were…you in Hong Kong before you came to Sendai?"

"Yes. I was following my creator…" Is it true…was he the one that…

I sit up, bowing my head as the tears flow from my eyes and down my cheeks. "Get out." It comes out as a harsh, barely audible whisper but I know he heard me, the hurt look in his ice-blue eyes tells me that easily enough. My shoulders shake at the look and I turn away.

"Ivan…what are you…"

"You killed my grandmother, didn't you? Picard said that an older vampire was the one who killed her and…and we do not even know if you maker is alive, you said so yourself." I shake my head.

"Ivan, don't do this. I never even met your grandmother, I left before she died. I…"

"Shut up! You did it! You did it! Stop lying to me and just admit it already!" I yell, covering my ears and continuing to shake my head. This is all too much. I am breaking. My whole world is shattering. If Robin killed her, what can I do? What can I say? I still love him, after this. My heart is…

"Admit it! Admit it!" Why was I screaming that over and over again? I am broken. It is all sleeping away. I cannot feel a thing. The earlier, numbing pain has left my body and I would give anything to have that back instead of this…this broken body, this broken mind. I want to scream 'fix me, fix me' not this stupid repeated phrase.

"Stop, Ivan." He pushes me down roughly, eyes narrowed and cold. "You want to know why I did not kill your grandmother, why you must believe me? It is because I love you, you idiot. Do not accuse me of doing something as stupid as killing a vampire supporter. If anyone did, I am sure it was my maker, who happens to still be alive." I blink up at him, the pain slowly returning as I feel his fingers bruise my shoulders from his tight grip.

"Wha…what did you just say?"

"My maker is still alive."

"Before that…you…you said you love me." The cold look leaves his eyes and he leans forward, brining his lips to mine. He pulls away before I can start to deepen it and he stands up, moving to the window and leaning against the wall. "I…"

"Look, it's okay. I suppose a lot is going on in your life right now…I should not expect you to trust me with all your being at the moment anyway. I am, after all just a vampire, right?" Such cold words…

"Would it be too hurtful of me to tell you that I love you?" He growls deep within his throat and I lower my gaze to the foot of my bed.

"You are going to have to make this up to me, Ivan." Was that…

I smile and nod as he turns to me, looking me over once before smiling as well. "I really want you to trust me. I never killed any member of your family, understand? If I had, I would have told you. I have no intention of killing any of them now."

"I'm sorry…I knew I should not have believe Picard…I just…" He returns to my side once more, kneeling next to my bed and placing his hand on my cheek, pulling me towards him.

"I don't care." He pulls me into another kiss, lowering me onto the bed again, this time much slower than before.

"I'm really sorry, Robin." I whisper as he pulls away, pressing his lips to my neck.

"If you don't shut up about that, I'm going to leave right now." I cover my mouth with my hands after smile down at him apologetically. He rolls his eyes and kisses my neck again. He pulls away again and rests his head on my chest, gazing up at me for a long moment. "You did not think that I loved you?"

"It isn't that…you just never said it to me before." His eyes leave mine and he stares at the wall.

"I see…so I have to say it for you to know. I understand." When he says it like that, it sounds like I have wronged him.

"It isn't that." I repeat, "I…well…I don't know. This is all new to me. You are the first person I have ever been with, the first person that I have ever loved and the first person that I ever told that I loved." He pulls himself up, leaning over me.

"This is new for me as well, Ivan. I have never made love to anyone before you, I have never been this in love with anyone before. I have never even been in love with anyone before you, not while I was alive and not in this damned life."

"Well…I thought that…since you were so good…I just assumed…" He sighs and falls onto the bed, rolling over to lie next to me.

"Never assume anything about anyone, Ivan."

"I know, I know…it just ends up making an ass out of u and me." He blinks at me before laughing. "Sorry, I heard Gerald say that once." He seems happy now. I should not have thought that he was the one to kill my grandmother…

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" He touches my shoulders tentatively. I take his hand, kissing his fingertips lightly.

"It's okay." He pulls me close, holding me tightly. "Robin…you said that your maker happens to be alive…how do you know? You said that you did not even know if he was still alive, that you only had a feeling." He does not release me but looks away, his gaze turning to the ceiling.

"I…he…he confronted me last night, after I returned home from dropping you off here. This was different from the last time we saw each other. He seems to have changed, but not but much. It is sort of an on-off kind of thing, like he is confused about how he should act now." He sighs, "I keep wanting it to just be a dream or my eyes playing tricks on me but I felt him standing there in my room, I heard him breathing…every little thing. His movements have not changed one bit. The sad thing is, I have a very strong feeling that he is going to be back again. I wonder what this changes…"

"As far as I am concerned, this changes nothing for the moment. He did not want to fight you, did he?" He returns his gaze to me and shakes his head, "Then you should not try to fight him, Robin. I do not want you to get hurt. I have hurt you enough already." I lay my head down on his chest and I feel him laughing silently. He strokes my hair and kisses my hair.

"As long as he behaves…I will leave him alone but if he does anything to provoke me, I have no other choice but to fight him."

"Very well, but I will fight alongside you. Garcia says that I have learned a lot for just my first day of training."

"You certainly are a fast learner." I feel my cheeks warm at his statement and I bury my face in his chest, trying to hide the blush. "Uh…so, how long do you want me to stay?"

"For as long as you can." I whisper, relaxing again. "I just want to stay here in your arms for as long as I possibly can. I truly do love you."

"As do I, Ivan. I will stay with you until you fall asleep." I nod, trying to fight against fatigue. I must not fall asleep. It is too early. There is still more time.

"Leave…an hour before sunrise…" I whisper to him just as I fall asleep.

"Very well. Good night."

**-TBC-**

I apologize if this went too fast but I needed Ivan to think that Robin killed his grandmother so I could force Robin to tell Ivan that he loved him at least once before…before something happens.

Alex: Don't tell.

I know, I won't give anything away no matter how much everyone begs me. Besides, it would ruin things for people and make me cry to even talk about it…even though I know what is going to happen. About the cross looking like a key…I have a fetish for keys and I have no idea why. My friends think it is because of Sora and the whole Kingdom Hearts thing but it is not. I have had a fetish for keys long before Kingdom Hearts was even made…I just do not know why. I am sure I can fit it in somewhere. Hope this did not go too fast! If it did…tell me and I will _try_ to fix it. Read and review please!


	9. Chapter IX: Part 1: What we Lose

**Dark Love**

**By:** Padfoot-chan

The reason I am doing this is to tell people that the next chapter update will be rated **R**. I have decided to give Robin and Ivan there little moment a little more detailed because of what I am going to do at the end of this chapter. Also, after the second part is updated, there will be one chapter left and that is the end of **Dark Love** unless at least one person wants me to continue it and then I will pull my brainpower and work on the sequel to this. So after this, only two more chapters to go and then the end. Owari. La Fin. Wow, I barely ever finish my chapter stories. Maybe this time it's because a lot more people were into it and I drove myself to complete it

I may be giving something away by saying this but since I do not want people to hate me, let me remind you of one thing. Robin and Ivan are my favorite characters and I love and respect they as if they were my own characters that I spent hours working on. I would not merely go off and do something life threatening to them. As much as I hate some of the characters, I would not hurt them either. I know the blood, sweat, and tears that go into making characters, be it their personality, background, or just their character design. I respect anyone who would work so hard on a character to give them life and show them to the world. They can kill their own characters but when someone else does it, you take it as a personal offense and it is as if they took the knife and drove it through your own heart instead of your characters. **I will not do any damage to Ivan or Robin**. So by the end of this chapter, if you still do not believe me and do not want to see the outcome, so be it but you will regret it, I am sure.

I really got in touch with Robin's personality in this chapter so I assure it will may make you cry but it is worth reading

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Golden Sun characters, they belong to Camelot.

**Warning:** Still shonen-ai. Don't like, don't read.

Read and Review please. No flames please. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 

**Chapter 9:** What we Lose…

**Part 1**

Even though Ivan fell asleep hours ago, I still stay lying on his bed, holding him in my arms and just watching him breath, his hand clutched around a fold of my shirt. There is so much I want to do for him; I just do not know where to start. What makes things worse for me is that stupid hunter Garcia and that vampire lover of his…Picard. If they had minded their own business, I would not have had to tell Ivan that I love him in such a manner. I did not want to say it in anger but…he gave me no choice. He was in denial and I would not listen to a word I said to him.

I shift my weight slightly and look at the digital clock sitting on the table next to Ivan's bed. Half an hour before sunrise, seems I have stayed a little longer than I promised. I smile to myself and lift Ivan up, laying him back down on his bed and covering up him with his bed sheets. I kiss his lips quickly before turning to the window and opening it. I climb onto the windowsill, look back at him one last time before leaping onto the tree branch with ease and shutting the window close with my mind. I sort of like the idea of sneaking around to see him each night…but I do not want to make this a habit. I suppose it cannot be helped, though.

I make my way to my house before the sun lifts into the sky. I hide a yawn behind my hand as I shrug off my jacket, letting it drop to the floor as I fall forward onto my bed and drift off to sleep just as the sun lights up the sky.

The next night is the same as the last, only this time; I slip into Ivan's room and sit on his bed, waiting for him to return from his training. He stumbles through the door, shutting and locking it behind him before he falls onto his bed and into my arms with his eyes closed. "Hey, Robin." I laugh at this.

"Too tiered to even wonder greet me properly?" He lifts his head from my chest and kisses my chin before flopping down again. "I bet you were sore all over when you woke up. Just going to sleep is not going to help your muscles. You need to stretch them out before you relax."

"Don't make me move, Robin." He begs, clinging to my arms with whatever strength he has left in him, which is not much compared to his normal strength. "I ache in places I did not even knew existed."

"So what did you do today that would make you hurt so much?"

"Garcia started me off with weapon training today, since I mastered all the spells yesterday. I never want to see a sharp metal object for as long as I live." He groans and hugs me, "What were you doing…?"

"I came here as soon as I woke up. There really is nothing else to do for me now. My maker should be gone, or at least I hope he is gone and I have stopped drinking blood. If worse comes to worse…I could always drink animal blood." I feel Ivan shiver in my arms, "It is not as bad as you would think, not as good as human blood…You don't want to hear this."

"It is a part of you, Robin. I do not mind. I want to know everything about you, everything that you tell me is important." To love someone so much that you do not care for anyone else…is that such a sin. To someone love unconditionally, you forget all else and only worry about that one person, your own happiness forgotten. Untrue, you happiness lies with that person solely. To make him happy, to keep him safe is my only duty in the world now. Nothing else can make me happier.

Alex's words are still ringing in my ears, like a cacophony of bells. How could someone like him know about something like this? I never thought it possible…Why is he on my mind now? I should just forget about him and continue my life as it is going now, with Ivan. Whenever I think about him, though, my heart begins to pound with something like…fear. An all-consuming fear. I feel weak for some reason. What have I been working for all these years? He is still far stronger than I am. It was all for nothing. Wasted deaths, hundreds of bodies lay behind me and I cannot be forgiven for that. It is a great misdeed.

"Robin…" I had thought he fallen asleep in my arms again.

"Hmm?"

"You only killed people who were killing other people. Was it such a crime to kill them before they killed anyone else? You were saving so many lives by killing that one person. I fail to see the bad in that." He lifts his head from my chest and looks up at me, "But you know…no matter what you did in your past, even if you are unwilling to tell me about it, I do not care. I can only see the present you and for now, that is all that matters. I like you as you are now, I feel in love with you and I cannot go back. I do not want to go back to a life without you, not knowing you, not having met you. I may not understand what you are going through, what you had to go through but that is over now."

"I know…but the things I did are hard to forget. No matter how hard I try, they will always be with me. They say the only thing that is eternal is the human sole, what happens when they body becomes eternal as well. We are defying God's will merely by living as we do. We take the lives of others; we walk the earth longer than we were ever meant to." I slip my hand down Ivan's shirt, pulling on the silver chain hanging around his neck until the cross falls out into my open palm. "I wonder what she would say to me now, if she could see me. Her soul must be laughing at me from wherever she is now. Lupe was a very religious person…things like this…she might have disapproved. Our relationship…she would disapprove of that as well."

"If she would not be able to accept this, this thing that has become a part of you, she must not have been a very good person. A heart as cold as to turn away a family member just because his physical body has changed, does not deserve to feel the warmth of someone's love." Those are very bold words, perhaps that is one of the many reasons I fell for him in the first place. "As for our relationship, if your sister could say something against us, if she were still around to say that she did not approve of the two of us being together, would you leave me? Just as easily as that, would you left me is she were able to say something about our relationship?"

He seems so worried about it, but I suppose he needs to know where he stands. I respect my sister but I love Ivan. Someone once told me it was hard to tell the difference between respect and love, that they can sometimes feel the same and you do not know whether you are in love with someone or merely respect them greatly. I know the difference. My sister will never compare to Ivan, he is more important to me than she ever was, or ever will be. My heart has recognized Ivan and I cannot look back. Even before I met him, my thoughts were never on my family, they were usually with Alex. As much as I hate him, as much as I despise him for what he did to my parents, and me, I cannot help but feel respect for him. He has power; he has strength that I cannot even begin to imagine and most of all, he has his freedom, or from what I have seen, it appears that he does. What binds him to this earth, though? Why does he continue to still live one when many of the old ones have released their souls from their bodies and forsaken this eternal life.

"I would not have left you, regardless of what my sister were to say to me if she were still alive. I suppose you are right, though, my sister might not have been so cold as to just abandon me just because I was turned into a vampire. I still cannot help but wonder sometimes…" I sigh and lean back against the pillows of Ivan's bed, dropping the cross to his chest and wrapping my arms around him again. "If the plague had not taken them and my maker had not killed my parents, I would have had to watch them grow old…how would I have been able to explain to them when they notice that I do not age and fear the sunlight? In a sense, I think the way things happened…is better than what most vampires have to go through. Watching your loved ones grown old and die before your very eyes in rapid motion.

"And what is time to a vampire? We do not age, we merely watch the world as things change and progress…the nature of humans never changes. We fear that which we do not understand, that which we cannot control, conform to our will, obey our every beck and call. It has been said that you do not truly appreciate something until you have lost it, until you no longer have that thing in your possession. I suspect that they mean life as well." I smile to myself, leaning back and looking out of the window, "It may take a while, before the romance of this immortal life begins to lose its glory, its grace and dignity but you do feel it eventually. If you are not strong enough to handle it, you will be driven insane by the lose. You wish for your old life more than anything…grow tiered of watching people grow old and die around you…that is why many of there are so few old vampires out there. I am alive because I hunt after my maker, or used to. I suppose my maker is a special case, he has something else to live for…something that kept him here for so long…"

"You truly do seem concerned about his recent appearance. Are you worried that he plans to do something to try to hurt you?" I shrug my shoulders.

"I always thought he would try to get me to join him if our paths ever crossed again. I wondered…what could have made him chose to turn me in the first place, what drove a vampire to create another, to draw another person from a mortal life and give them this existence. He could have been lonely but he does not seem the type to feel such emotions. I never stopped to think about it, I was always worried about losing track of my maker once I decided to follow him. Now that I met you and have spent time with you, I realize just how lonely I was before." He hugs me tighter before flinching. "Ah, don't move if it hurts so much."

He shivers slightly in my arms, "I am sorry. I just wish that there were something more for you that I could do. When we first met, you seemed so sad, like you were lost and alone. I…I wanted to know what could have possible made you look that way, what could have happened to you to make you look so sad. My problems are nothing compared to yours. My grandmother and father's deaths, everyone lying to me…I was just being selfish thinking that it was such a big deal." He shakes his head, looking up at me, "It is really nothing when I see what happened to you. Your whole family died when you were alive and you chased after one person for so long…I…" I grab his chin before he can turn away and pull him closer, kissing his lips before smiling.

"It was a big deal, you should not have been put through such an ordeal, Ivan. It could have put you in a dangerous situation, wondering around Sendai without anyone with you. If you had known that you had the ability to become a hunter and if you had known that there were at least a few vampires left in Sendai…I doubt you would have gone out alone, or at least paid more attention to where you were going." I laugh as he starts to blush, "It is best not to think about it too much. You should get some sleep, I am sure you will have to go through the same training tomorrow so it would be best to sleep as much as possible while you can, right?" He tightens his grip on me.

"But this is the only time we are able to see each other. I do not think it is fair to you that I fall asleep every time you come to visit me. My training should be over soon and the others are returning from Nagasaki in a couple of days. They might let me leave on my own and I could come see you again." I ruffle his hair, smiling down at him weakly.

"You know I do not want you to do that, Ivan. Sendai is not safe, no where is safe for a hunter really, especially if they go out on their own. I will admit that I, myself, have killed some hunters. I am ashamed of that but…I cannot ask to be forgive for such a crime." He looks up at me, blinking.

"Who did you…?"

"I don't know. It was a small group that I ran into before I met you, if you really wish to know, I suggest that you ask that Garcia person." I had to admit it, no matter how much the truth hurt him. He wanted to know things about me, everything about me. Things have gotten so complicated lately.

"I…I don't blame you. Everyone dies eventually, right?" He was looking for an excuse for what I had done. "You won't kill anyone else, will you? There is no reason for you to kill anyone else. I do not want anyone to be able to call you a murderer. You don't want to be like your maker, do you?"

"You know just what to say to me, don't you?" He grins up at me, blushing slightly. He turns around in my arms and looks out the window, resting his head on my shoulder.

"Ah! Robin, look! It's snowing!" He jumps out of my arms and off the bed, almost tripping from the sudden movement but he makes it to the window in one piece, placing his hands on the windowsill and leaning against the glass. "I wonder if I can skip training tomorrow to go out and play in the snow…"

"I am sure you will have plenty of opportunities to go out into the snow once you finish your training." I whisper as I leave the bed and walk up behind him, slipping my arms around his waist. "And do not ask to go outside now, there is not enough snow on the ground and I am sure it is freezing out there."

"You have to leave in this, don't you? Why don't you stay here? You know, just for tonight." I catch him looking up at my reflection in the window and I sigh, shaking my head.

"Someone could catch me and then it would all be over. I do not exactly want to kill everyone that tries to come after me. Even for just one night, it would be far too risky for us to do such a thing. Don't worry, we will be able to spend more time with each other later." He shakes his head and turns around to look at me better. "Ivan, I do not wish for you to get into any trouble with your friends and it is important for you to be here. You said you wanted to become a better hunter than your father, didn't you? Just hang in there for a little longer. If you do, I will be able to give you a reward for all your hard work." I smile as he lowers his head, trying to hide the blush that had stained his cheeks. "Heh, well, if that's what you want…I was thinking of something else…but either way is fine with me."

He lifts his head quickly, still blushing, "Ah! You-you were thinking of something else? I-I'm sorry…I just assumed that you would want to…because I really would not mind if we were to…um…d-do that again. It hurt a little a first but I got used to it." The only thing that could make Ivan cuter than he is right now is if he had wings and was turned into a cherub, of course…the latter would not be very fun for me, now would it? I smirk at the thought and kiss his nose.

"Well, since it would be celebrate your accomplishment, I suppose it could be anything you wanted it to be, right?" I let out a sigh, "I guess Japan is as good as any place for me to stay. Since the academy is here, there are not many vampires foolish enough to stay here long enough to be detected by the hunters."

"And you?" I shrug my shoulders.

"I'm not scared, besides, I have a very important reason to stay here and I do intend to stay for as long as you want me to." He lifts his arms to my neck, wrapping them around and pulling me down to bring out lips together. He smiles shyly as he pulls away.

"I never want you to leave me, Robin." I bit down on my bottom lip and turn away from him, looking out the window, watching the thick snowflakes falling from the blacked sky and sticking to the ground. As much as I want to stay with him…as much as I want to be with him, I cannot stay with him forever. I do not want to watch him grow old without me. I do not want to say goodbye to another loved one. Warm blood stained tears stream from my eyes, leaving a pale trail of blood down my cheeks. He blinks up at me, a mixture of pain and confusion in his eyes. "What's wrong? Did I say something to upset you?"

I wipe the tears off on my sleeve, keeping my eyes away from Ivan's, "No, it's nothing, really. I was just thinking about something." It might have been unfair to him but I could not let him know what I was thinking just now. It was hard to put into words and I did not want to be rejected by him and I am sure that he would turn me down if I asked him to become a vampire just for me. He wants to become a hunter and I do not want to take his life away from him just so he could be with me. It changes people and I do not want to change him from the way he is now.

**-TBC-**

This was just the first part. This chapter is going to be longer than the others are since I need to cover a months time in it. So be patience. After this, I plan to work on a sort of sequel to **Water and Wind** where the characters children set out, I'm not sure how good it will turn out but I will just have to see after I finish this and get started on the first chapter of it. Read and review please. Also, thank you, Midnyte Wolf. I am sorry to hear that you have had an awful past few weeks, hopefully the next update to this will cheer you up since I go into a little more detail of Robin and Ivan's little…love scene.


	10. Chapter IX: Part 2: What we Lose

**Dark Love**

**By:** Padfoot-chan

Yukito…I am not even going to comment on that, but I will say this, sweetie, watch out when school starts. Watch your back and your feet 3 I got new high heels this year.

**Maniac-Miko**: Don't worry, it isn't too graphic. This is the first I wrote so…:3 I'm still easing into it myself XD

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Golden Sun characters, they belong to Camelot.

**Warning:** Still shonen-ai. Don't like, don't read. ::gasp:: sex in this chapter! What a shocker

Read and Review please. No flames please. Constructive criticism is always welcome.****

**  
Chapter 9:** What we Lose…

**Part 2**

I smile down at him to try to reassure him. I could tell that he was not willing to let this drop without a fight. I shake my head and lift him off the ground, throwing him over my shoulder and carrying him to his bed, throwing him down gently and climbing on top of him, leaning forward and brining out lips together briefly before pulling away and beginning to undo the laces on his shirt. "R-Robin, wait. You don't think that you can use this as an excuse to not talk to me. Something…_mm_…something is bothering you and I want to help in…_ah_! A-anyway I c-can." I smirk as he moans softly through his protests. I free him of his shirt, throwing it behind me before kissing his neck. He tries to push me away at first but I feel him begin to weaken as I kiss my way up to his ear, nibbling along the edge, drawing more soft moans from him. "You…really should…_mm_…sto-stop this. What if the others hear us?"

"I am pretty fast, Ivan. If they do hear us, I could just run out the window before they get here." He rests his hands on my shoulders, pulling me back down to his neck. I shift slightly, the bed creaking as I move my weight from one knee to the other. I unbutton and unzip Ivan's pants in one fluid motion before dipping my hand inside the constraining fabric.

"I-if you are…_haa_…just doing this to get out of talking to me, I am going to be very mad at you later, Robin." I smile up at him, pausing in my movements. His cheeks are flushed and his eyes half-lidded with passion. His mouth is slightly open, hot puffs of breath passing his lips to tickling my face. "Y-you're stopping? Do you want to talk now?"

"Of course not, I was just thinking about what you said. You would be mad later if I was doing this to just get out of talking to you, but right now…you are not mad at me?" He shook his head slowly. "Ivan, please do not persist to ask me why I was crying just then. Each time you ask, I will refuse to tell you. There are something that I am ashamed of about myself and I do not want them burdening you." I bring my free hand to his and pull one of his hands from my shoulder, lacing my fingers through his, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze before I tear my eyes away from his and plant a kiss on his collarbone. He moans again, shaking his head from side to side, tightening his grip on my shoulders.

"It would not burden me, honestly. I really…_un_…want to know everything about you. I was not…_ah_…lying to you when I said that to you, Robin." I let out a sigh, pausing again and lifting my head up to look at him. "I just want you to believe that. I do not need this, you do not have to do this to try to get out of talking to me. It hurts that you think you would have to do this to get me to back off. If you really cannot talk to me about it, if it bothers you that much to tell me then you do not have to, but do not insult me by doing this."

"I do believe you when you say that you wanted to know everything about me. There are just things that I am not ready for even you to know about. Besides, I am not making love to you to just to get you to shut up or to get your mind off whatever was bothering me." I lift his hand up to my lips and kiss his fingertips lightly. "You asked me when we were going to do this again, so I thought that this was as good a time as any. Try not to cry out my name, of course, or we will both be in big trouble."

"You just worry about yourself." He breathes, pulling me away from his chest and back to his lips. He wraps his arm around my neck, pulling me closer and I part his lips, sliding my tongue into his mouth only to pull it out teasingly. He moans into the kiss as I pull my hand out of his pants, hooking my thumb on the edge of his pants and pulling them down, leaving him only in his boxers now. I break the kiss and lean back, looking down at him. "Are you sure we really should be doing this here?" I roll my eyes and laugh.

"Now you want to stop. Sorry, I can't stop now, Ivan." He hisses slightly as I bring my lips to his chest, kissing my way down to his stomach I stop at his navel. I nibble lightly around the edge before dipping my tongue inside. I pull back again; glancing at the door to make sure it is locked before pulling his boxers off and tossing them behind me. I move back up to his face, covering his lips with my own. He breaks the kiss and reaches for my jacket, pushing it off my shoulders where it slides down my back and onto the ground.

"It's…too hot in here for that." I nod briefly before capturing his lips with my own. He releases me for a moment, his hands traveling down my chest until his fingers reach my pants. He unbuttons my jeans and then zips them down before pushing them slowly over my hips and down my thighs.

"Taking your sweet time, aren't you?" I whisper, huskily, breaking the kiss for a moment. "Such a tease."

"You're one to talk. I noticed that you were not wearing any underwear. Were you planning this from the start, Robin?" I shrug my shoulders, smirking as I kiss his neck. He wraps his legs around my waist and pulls me away from his neck, "Hurry, I don't think I will be able to stand much more of this." I cover his mouth with my own again and slowly push into him, waiting for him to adjust before I push in deeper.  He moans deeply into the kiss, placing his hands on my shoulders again and gripping onto them tightly.

I pull away from a moment, "Are you okay?" He nods and pulls me back down, kissing me passionately. We fall into a rhythmic pattern as I pull out and push into him again, slowly at first but then picking up speed, our moans muffled by our mouths over each other's. We continue this erotic dance for what seems like an eternity and yet not long enough, both of us lost in a burning passion. Then Ivan tenses up under me and tries to pull out of the kiss but I grab the back of his head, lacing my fingers through his hair to keep him bound to the kiss as he reaches his climax. I push into him two more times before I reach my climax, Ivan bringing his hands up into my hair.

I finally break the kiss, rolling over onto his bed next to him, my breath coming out in labored gasps. "I swear, you are going to be the death of me, Ivan. I only get this exhausted when I am with you." He smiles as he turns onto his side, moving closer to me and resting his head on my chest. I slip my arm around his shoulder, leaning down slightly to kiss to top of his head.

"Does this mean you will stay for the night."

"In a house with two vampire hunters, two retired hunters and one vampire turned hunter. I think I would rather take my chances locked up in a room with my maker after he drank from the neck of a drunken whore." Ivan giggles and then yawns. "As much as I would love to stay with you tonight, Ivan, you know that I cannot."

"But this could be your only chance. The others are coming back soon and then there will be more hunters in the mansion to sense you." I poke his nose lightly, smiling down at him before sitting up and tripping slightly over the edge of my pants.

"You have to train a little harder to detect me." I pull my pants up and button them before looking around the ground for my jacket. He sits up, watching me before speaking up.

"Why is that? I thought that it did not matter, a tracker could sense a vampire no matter how old they are." I shake my head, bending down to pick my jacket up from the ground.

"It is not as simple as that. A tracker could sense an older vampire only if they were either very strong, or had the blood of the vampire's recent victim. If they had the blood, then they could use the blood of the human to track down the vampire that way. If they were not strong enough, the vampire would become more of a undetectable shadow to the tracker." I shrug my jacket on and sit on the bed next to him again, "I do not think you should have to worry about that, of course. You want to become a slayer, right." He nods, throwing his arms around my neck and kissing my cheek. "Only trackers have to worry about sensing a vampire, some slayers are able to sense vampires, but they are the stronger slayers." I kiss him before ruffling his hair and glancing at the clock. "Get some sleep, this visit lasted a little too long."

He looks at the clock and frowns, "Will you be able to make it to your house before the sun comes up?" I nod and move to the window, pulling it open and shivering slightly as the cold air rushes into the room. He shivers on his bed as well, quickly bringing his covers up around him to fight off the cold. "You will be back tomorrow night, right?"

"You mean tonight. It is a little past one in the morning. Yes, I will return to visit tonight. Get some rest and try your best at training." I jump out of the window and onto the tree branch, shutting the window in the same manner I had done before. I look around at the landscape. The white snow had already covered the ground in a thick, wintry blanket. It really did look beautiful. I lean forward slightly and jump onto the roof of the academy, running along the shingles silently before leaping onto the next building, quickly making my way back to my house.

Our night's come and go like this for two weeks before Ivan tells me he has finally completed his training. I am sitting on Ivan's bed with him in my arms, "I finally mastered all of the spells and all of the physical techniques that I need to know to become a hunter. Tomorrow night, the academy is going to hold a masquerade ball in honor of me becoming a hunter. Since it is a masquerade ball and no one it going to be able to see your face, I think you should be my date."

"What is the dress, aside from the mask, or do you want me to come wearing only a mask?" He punches my arm lightly.

"It won't be anything too fancy, just a black tuxedo, I suppose. Please tell me you will come. If I do not dance with anyone, Sheba will surely ask me to dance with her and I hate turning people down." I nod, smiling as he leans against me, "Thank you, Robin. She has really been bugging me ever since she came back from Nagasaki. Almost makes me wish she had been killed by a vampire there."

"Ivan, I certainly am surprised. How could you say such a thing about a fellow hunter?"

"I was just kidding." He mutters before yawning and tuning in my arms, lifting the covers up around us. "I am just glad that my training is over and now that I know you will be my date to the masquerade ball tomorrow night, it makes everything better. You said that you wanted to try to reward me for all my hard work to become a hunter, right?" I smile, laughing softly.

"Ah, so you remembered that, did you? Very well, but tomorrow after the ball. What time is it going to be? Do you want me to come to the front door or sneak in through your window?"

"You better come through the front door or else Garcia and the others might start to ask questions on how you got inside the academy without them seeing you." I nod and shift my weight slightly.

"You should go to sleep now. Don't worry, I'll stay for as long as I can." He blinks up at me.

"What do you do when I go to sleep? You don't just watch me, do you?" I smile at me and he blushes slightly, "That has to be boring for you…"

"Not at all, I enjoy watching you sleep. You make the cutest faces while you are dreaming, not to mention whispering my name in your sleep." He blushes more, lowering his head to avoid my gaze. I lift his chin up and smile at him brightly, "What do you dream about?" His eyes widen and he tries to turn away, his entire face bright red now.

"I-it's really embarrassing, I can't tell you…you might laugh at me." He fiddles with my shirt for a moment before pausing and locking his eyes with mine. "It is just that I…" He stops again, breaking away from my hand and turning to look out the window.

"What is it?" For a long moment, he just stares out the window, watching as the snowflakes drift down from the sky. It had been snowing every night since it first started two weeks ago and now there was a healthy blanket of snow on the ground that nearly came up to my knees.

"I…really want to spend the rest of my life with you, Robin…I want to spend…forever with you." He turns back to me, his eyes burning, "I want you to…" In a second, I grab the back of his neck with my hand and cover with mouth with the other.

"Don't you dare say that of me. Do not ask me to do that to you, because I will not. You do not know what you are asking, Ivan. This is not what you want, as much as you want to be with me, as much as you love me, you do not want this. I do not want to do this to you. It will change you and I do not want to lose you to this." I shake my head and release my hold on his mouth, slipping my arms around him and holding him close to me. "Please, do not ask me to do that. I…do not want to force this upon you. I have never created a vampire and I never want to. Please do not ask me to break my vow."

I feel him tremble as he slowly wraps his arms around me, "But I do not…want to hurt you, Robin. You told me that you would have to watch me grow old. You said that you loved me. Would it hurt you to see me grow old and then die?" I bit down on my bottom lip, fighting against the tears that threaten to run down my cheeks. "I don't want to leave you alone. I refuse to do that."

"Ivan…I refuse to kill you." I would die for you, Ivan, but I would not allow you to die for me.

The next night, I wake up early, running around my house looking for my old tuxedo. I find it in the attic under a dresser. I frown as I dust it off and hold it out to study it. "I am just glad that I do not grow anymore or I would not be able to fit into this thing. Now for a mask." After I slip on the tuxedo and search around the attic for a mask, I head out the door, hopping in my sports car before heading to the academy.

I pull through the gates and into the driveway where many other cars are pulling in and parking. The front doors are open and Ivan is waiting for me in front of them, leaning against the right door, which is closed. He waves to me as I walk towards to door. "You came! I am so glad. Heh, Sheba is still getting ready so you saved me from even having to talk with her before the dancing starts!" He loops his arm through mine and drags me into the mansion.

"What makes you think she is not even going to try to cut in?" He shrugs his shoulders.

"Even if she does try to, I can say that I am dancing with you and that I promised you all the dances." I shake my head but cannot fight the smile that touches my lips.

Once we reach the ballroom, which surprised me for a moment until I remembered that the academy was quite old, I should have been surprised if there had not been a ballroom, we dance for hours, a live orchestral band playing in the background. Ivan runs off to talk to his cousin, Susa, who turned out to be a hunter as well, and leaves me by myself, leaning against the wall and staring up at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

"So, you are Ivan's date." I blink and turn to see the man from before, Garcia, standing next to me, arms folded over his chest. He is wearing a mask over his face but there is no mistaking his russet eyes and long, warm chocolate hair, pulled back in a ponytail and thrown over his shoulder. I sigh and smirk at him.

"Yes I am, does it bug you?" Something about this guy makes me feel the desire to be snide to him, maybe the way he talks or how he looks at me, as if I am inferior to him. He glares at me.

"I know who you are, do not think that that mask and tuxedo can fool me." He reaches forward to yank off my mask but I tense up and turn away from him, my eyes searching the ballroom through the crowd of people. What was that surge of energy just now?

"Did you feel that?" I whisper, turning back to him. He turns away well, ripping off his mask and throwing it to the ground.

"Get down!" He yells and everyone but six people duck, him, Picard, Ivan, myself, and two more people. One I do not know, but he is standing close to Ivan, and behind Ivan, reaching out towards him is…

"Alex! Don't you dare touch him!" I gasp, running forward. Alex smiles at me and snatches Ivan from the ground, running to the window. "Alex! Damn you!"

"If you want him, Robin, you know where to go!" With that, he disappears out the window with Ivan in his arms, Ivan's violet eyes wide with fear. I feel as if time has stopped, the air around me losing all texture and feel to it. I drop to my knees, staring at the window they had vanished through.

"…Ivan…"

"Who was that?" asked the boy who had been speaking with Ivan, he was looking from Picard to Garcia, who turned to look at me. I smile bitterly, looking down at the marble floor, crimson teardrops falling to the ground before me.

"My master, Alex. He did this because Ivan was important to me. This is all my fault." I pull my mask from my face, letting it drop to the ground as I stand up, my knees shaking slightly. "I need to go after him, I need to save Ivan." Garcia moves towards me, jabbing his finger into my chest.

"No, if you are going anywhere, we are going with you. Susa, make sure the others are know what happened. Picard and I will accompany Robin here to wherever that bastard took Ivan." The boy called Susa goes to protest but Picard silences him with a shake of his head.

I narrow my eyes as I look at them. I want to say no, I want to tell them that it is my job to save Ivan but deep down, there is still that fear of Alex that drives me to beg for their help. I spin on my heel and walk toward the window Alex left through. "Follow me, and try not to fall behind. I am not waiting for you."

How could this have happened? I should have known that Alex would try something. I should have known that he would go after Ivan. That bastard was always after my loved ones, he just never wanted me to be happy. I clench my teeth and speed up the pursuit. Alex is going to regret this. He better not lay a finger on Ivan or I swear…

"Where are we now?" I glance behind me, stopping on a steep cliff. Picard and Garcia land next to me, stumbling slightly as they try to regain their balance.

"Not too far from Yamagata, it is pretty close to Sendai. This is were Alex lives for the moment." I point out across the field at a large, stone castle. "A dark cloud hangs over that castle, it is just perfect for Alex. I am sure that he has his vampire followers in the castle with him. They may not be powerful but they are great in number. I suggest that be on guard while we are there. Ignore them if you can. I am going after Alex no matter what."

They nod and I drop off the edge of the cliff, landing on the ground as if I had only jumped down from a small table. I run along the ground, weaving in and out of the trees. Soon I come to the front of castle. Not wanting to waste anymore time, I wave my hand at the heavy metal door that blocks the entrance to the castle. It flies off the hinges, crushing ten or so trees as it lands on the ground.

I slow to a walk once I enter the confines of the castle, allowing my eyes to adjust to the darkness as I inch in further into the castle. I feel something brush against my arm and I turn to glare at Garcia. "Please refrain from touching me." He goes to say something but footsteps in front of us stop him. "There are two of them. You two take care of them, I'm going to go save Ivan."

"Wait right there—" I run past the two vampires before anyone can stop me. The stairs are old and steep but I manage to run up them with ease. There is a bright flash of light behind me followed by two loud screams. Seems like Garcia is not a very patience person. I smirk and continue through the castle.

"You are unwelcome here. Turn back." Two more vampires appear before me, twin girls with long flowing silvery hair. I smile at them and bow before spinning around and sending two sharp daggers flying at them. They scream and burst into flames, their ashes falling to the ground. I straighten up and take a deep breath and gagging slightly, the smell of burning flesh heavy in the air. I cover my nose with my sleeve and frown at the ground.

"Damn…they were old." I shake it off and walk past their ashes. The castle is quiet now, slight movement around me here and there but nothing has attacked me yet. I should have gone with Ivan when he went to speak with his cousin. I should have been there at his side, at least then Alex would never have gotten his hands on him in the first place. It was not supposed to happen this way. Tonight was supposed to be a special night. "Damn you Alex."

The corridor I am walking down ends suddenly, a large door standing before me with strange engravings carved into the golden metal. I tilt my head slightly and take a step forward, touching the metal and pulling away quickly, almost as if I had been burned. The metal was cold to the touch, almost too cold. It was unnatural. I push against the doors in spite of the cold and freeze at the sight that meets my eyes as the doors slide open.

Alex is sitting in a throne with Ivan kneeling on the floor before him, a mixture of fright and anger in his eyes. Alex smirks at me as I step into the room, glaring at him. "Why have you done this, Alex? What gives you the right to do something like this? If you have a problem with me, then take it up with me and leave Ivan out of this. He has nothing to do with this." He smiles and rises from his throne, moving toward me slowly.

"You are wrong, Robin. Ivan has everything to do with this. He is a part of your life. He makes you happy and he is the only reason you fight to live now. If I take that away from you…what would you have left?" I pull out my dagger but he sends it flying across the room with a simple glance. "You would want to come after me again, you would wish to kill me again. When you are with him, your thoughts are on him and him alone, I cannot have that."

"You are a selfish bastard, Alex and you need to die."

"Then come kill me, Robin, if you can." I charge forward, dropping to the ground before I reach him and kicking out at his leg. He jumps backwards, flipping out of the way. I run after him, throwing a small knife at him but he catches it in his hand and throws it to the ground. "Stop with the parlor tricks, Robin and fight me like a man."

"Stop running." I hiss and manage to kick his arm, sending him stumbling. He quickly regains his balance and launches a punch at me. I duck and grab his neck with my feet, spinning around quickly; I toss him across the room. I smirk and inch towards Ivan. He sees this and smirks himself.

"Is that how you want to play? Then, how will you like this?"

What happens next seems like a dream happening in slow motion. It was as if I was watching a tape on the television screen and it was of someone else's life, not my own. How surreal. I did it all on instinct rather than conscious thought. Of course, with Ivan…that was how everything was. I could laugh now…at how many times I said to him…that he would be the death of me…

Alex charges towards Ivan, hand outstretched to plunge it through his heart. I move forward after this, knocking Ivan out of the way just before Alex can reach him. Ivan calls out a second before his head bumps into the wall, knocking him unconscious. Alex's hand slams into my chest, running straight through. I kneel before him, holding onto his arm and leaning my forehead onto his chest, coughing out blood from the impact of the blow.

"Y-you idiot. Why the hell did you do that?" He stutters. I look up at him, my vision fading more with each passing second. It was growing colder and it was becoming harder to draw breath into my lungs. I smile up at him weakly. I know that look…why is he so sad to see me die? Is it because I am all he has left in this world? I am the only one he knows and he just killed me.

"You should know, Alex…it is because I love him with all my being. I could not allow you to kill him. I will make sure you never touch him either." I gather the last of my strength and slowly place my hand under his chin. "I will see you in Hell, Alex." I narrow my eyes and push sharply against his chin. He flies back into the wall, breaking through it and falling out of the castle.

I fall forward and look over where Ivan is lying against the wall unconscious. Strange…even though I am dying, I am still happy. As long as he is safe, I could never be sad. Would this be fair to him? To let him live on without me? I never knew love before him so I do not know. If my parents had loved each other…they were lucky, they were able to die together.

I do not want to die. Not yet, I have so much that I still want to do…

My vision grows darker, no matter how hard I try to fight against it, my eyes being to lull but my last sight is of Ivan…

It is cold…

…This is the coldest I have ever felt. I feel as if I am slipping into an eternal abyss…

"…I-Ivan…I love…you…"

No matter where you go, no matter what changes, I wish for you to always remember that.

**-TBC-**

I did say that something bad was going to happen. I may need to go back and fix this up since I think I went a little too fast. XD To think, I do this for my one year anniversary of Yes! It has been one year since I have been on Heh, I'm pretty proud of myself. I do want to do a sequel to this but I have no idea what it would be about. Wait until the next and last chapter to see if you still want a sequel, though, I pretty much take care of everything then.

Alex: Link, you suck.

Oh-ho! Using my name, eh? Alex must be mad about that whole battle with Robin. Poor baby, need a hug? Heh hee, read and review please! Next chapter coming up…soon hopefully!


	11. You shall Find

**Dark Love**

**By:** Padfoot-chan

::gasps:: This is the end? What do you mean this is the end? Heh. As much as I love **Dark Love** I knew that it could not go on forever, especially when I had this story all planned out and ready to end before school started. :3 I am merely glad that I was able to get the final chapter up before the end of the 21st. Since today is my one year anniversary at Yes! I have been here for one year already. It seems like so long ago ::sighs nostalgically:: I pretty much finished everything up in this chapter so there may be no need for a sequel. I am open to ideas and I might think of some while working on my other fanfics, but it is uncertain. Aside from my fanfics, I need to work on my original story to try to get it published! I have high hopes.

Thank you to whoever reviews this :3 and I so glad that you like my story and thank you for keeping with it! Thanks to: **Midnyte Wolf, Poster on a Stick, Maniac-Miko, (especially you three for sticking with me from the very beginning and reviewing for each chapter. You are the sweetest reviewers I ever had. I love you guys.) Thyrin, and yuey. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Golden Sun characters, they belong to Camelot. I do not own "Evergreen" It was written and sung by Hyde of L'ArcEnCiel.

Also, about "Evergreen" it is really a sad and sweet song. If you want to MP3 file for it, just ask me and I can e-mail it to you. ::flaps arms:: I just want everyone to love Hyde as much as I love him.

**Warning:** Still shonen-ai. Don't like, don't read.

Read and Review please. No flames please. Constructive criticism is always welcome. To find out some of my upcoming works, click on my profile and read "Coming soon"****

**Chapter 10:** You shall find.

_I lie awake beside the windowsill_

_Like a flower in a vase_

_A moment caught in glass…Mm_

_The rays of sunlight come and beckon me…_

_To a sleepy dreamy haze_

_A sense of summer days…Aa_

_If only I could stop the flow of time_

_Turn the clock to yesterday_

_Erasing all the pain…Mm_

_I've only memories of happiness_

_Such pleasure we have shared_

_I'd do it all again_

_This scenery is evergreen_

_As buds turn into leaves_

_The colors live and breathe_

_This scenery is evergreen_

_Your tears are falling silently_

_So full of joy you are a child of spring_

_With a beauty that is pure_

_An innocence endures…Aa_

_You flow right through me like a medicine_

_Brining quiet to my soul_

_Without you I'm not whole_

_This scenery is evergreen_

_I need you far too much_

_I long to feel your touch_

_This scenery is evergreen_

_You've always been so dear to me_

_This scenery is evergreen_

_It sorrows at the sight of seeing you so sad_

_This scenery is evergreen_

_I wish that I could dry your tears_

_The bells have rung the time has come_

_I cannot find the words to say my last goodbye_

_This scenery is evergreen_

_You've always been so dear to me_

A tear rolls down my cheek, hitting my hand as the song comes to an end. I pull the headphone from my ears and lean heavily against the window. Maybe I could fall out of the window and…The thought only makes my tears come down faster. It has been three weeks since Robin's…

Even now, I cannot bring myself to admit that it ever happened at all. Everything that night happened so quickly. My head is still spinning from it. I bit down on my bottom lip. Robin, why did you have to be so foolish and try to save me like that? You could have pushed Alex…

"You weren't thinking, dammit." I hiss, slamming my fist into the wall. "You stupid…you left me all alone…you selfish bastard…damn you for saving my life and giving up your own instead…idiot…stupid…" I press my forehead against the window, letting the cold air calm me. There is a knock on the door and then Mary enters, closing the door behind her.

"I know how you must be feeling, Ivan, but it always helps to talk about it." I feel bitter for some reason but I try bite back any comments and take a deep breath.

"He gave his life to save me, so I do not know why I am crying. It is just…there is this immense pain in my heart that I cannot ignore and I feel that…having him back with me, having him hold me in his arms, is the only way that it is ever going to go away. I want him back with em more than anything but…I do not know to make his sacrifice in vain by killing myself.

"He wanted me to live because…even if he only said it once, he loved me as much as I loved him. Even now, after all of this, I still love him. I was scared of that. I tried to run away but he was always a constant thought in my mind. A nagging thought that would always come back to me. I wanted to hold onto that when I found out about my heritage. It was the only real truth I knew…the only truth I had. It may not have been a happy thought but it was the only thing that I had that was really mine.

"For my whole life, I had been lied to by everyone around me and Robin…never once did he lie to me. He may have withheld things from me but he did that out of respect for my feelings and because he was not ready for anyone to know. He never wanted to harm me, never wanted to see me in pain. Even when we first met that night I returned to Japan, out of instinct rather than anything else, he did not wish to hurt me. He said…something inside him was telling him not to." I blush at the thought but shake it off, looking out the window and up at the moon. "I wanted so badly to understand him, understand his past so I could figure out what had made him so sad. I hated to see him sad when he tried so hard to please me, make sure that when I smiled, it was genuine, that when I laughed it was because I was truly having a good time. I know I only knew him for a short time and that I barely know that much about him…but I still cannot help feeling the way I do." Tears well up in my eyes again and Mary reaches for me, pulling me into a tight hug. "I just want him back. I…I…want to see him smile at me again. Mary…is there anything I can do to make this pain go away?"

She lifts my head and looks at me for a long moment before kissing my forehead. "Ivan, I think you need to go down to the basement." I blink up at her confused before pushing out of her arms and heading down to the basement.

I move slowly, the lights a little too bright for me at first. When I finally reach the basement my legs are tired and I feel out of breath. I lean against the wall and try to rest for a moment before continuing. I pause when I hear familiar voices coming from the room next to me.

"Garcia, you have gone too far this time. Do you know what this is doing to Ivan? He is really in shock about what happened to Robin and here you are…keeping him in a comatose state with this damn machine? Garcia, what the hell is wrong with you?" Robin…comatose state…Garcia…My heart is racing and my head is spinning again. What is going on? "Do you expect me to just stand here and watch you destroy one of the best hunters around, one of my best friends? Garcia, answer me, dammit."

"Picard, this is for the best. Something happened back at that castle…Robin has changed. His skin his darker…and so is his hair. His skin is warmer as well. How can you explain this?"

"If you were to take him off this machine and wake him up, you would find out from him, wouldn't you? Garcia, why are you doing this? Why do you insist on allowing Ivan to think that Robin is still dead when he is right here, alive! More so than when he was with Ivan. I think that whatever happened at the castle…reversed the effects somehow…"

"Impossible." I cannot take this anymore. I push the door open and gasp, freezing in place when I spot Robin lying on a small bed with wires connecting him to a strange machine sitting next to the bed. Picard is standing at the foot of the bed and Garcia is leaning over Robin, both of them blinking back at me.

"Ivan…what are you doing here?" I feel my knees buckle under me but I keep standing, glaring at Garcia before taking a step towards him.

"W…what am I doing here? How dare you say something like that to me. What are you doing here with him!? I thought he was dead! You made me think he was dead! Was this just some sick game to you, Garcia? I thought you were my friend! I was wrong, though, wasn't I? We were never friends, I was just a joke to you. My whole life was something for you to laugh at." I shake my head, "I do not see anyone laughing now, Garcia. Dammit, this is not a fucking game! I was willing to forgive you for keeping my hunter blood secret for me but you crossed the line this time, Garcia."

"Ivan, wait…" I spin around and run out the door. Where can I go? Do I want to run away? Why am I running away from the place where Robin is? Robin…

I pause and turn around, tensing up when I see Picard running toward me. "You knew, Picard…?" He nods solemnly. "Picard…you of all people…"

"Do not take it that way, Ivan…Garcia was just worried about you. I admit he went too far this time but…he was confused. He thought he was doing the right thing by keeping Robin away from you but he was not about to kill him, not while he is the way he is now." I furrow my brows and turn my head slightly.

"What are you trying to say, Picard? The way he is now? What happened to Robin?" Picard sighs and takes a step toward me. I take a step back and glare at him, "Tell me what happened to Robin, Picard. I need to know. I have a right to know. So tell me, or are you going to lie to me again as well?"

"Ivan, I think you need to sit down…" I shake my head quickly.

"No, Picard, tell me now." He watches me for a long moment before leaning against the wall and looking down at his feet. 

"The night we went to the castle…Garcia and I were busy fighting some of the vampires in the castle while Robin went off to find you and to fight Alex, I suppose. By the time we got there, it was all over. You were leaning against the wall unconscious and had a huge bump on the side of your head. Robin was lying on the ground with a gaping hole in his chest and his pulse was slowing…" He looks back up at me now, "We took both of you back to the academy and Jasmine healed your wounds while…Mary tried to heal Robin. Normally, a vampires' wound will heal on their own, it only takes a matter of seconds. We can recover from almost anything but for some reason; Robin's body was not healing itself from this wound. It could have been because his maker gave it to him or something else, we still do not understand. In addition, healers are unable to heal vampires, so it is strange that Mary's healing actually worked on Robin.

"He came to before you but the only thing that was on his mind was seeing you, to know if you were all right. Garcia knocked him out and ordered us to take him down to the basement. We did protest but it was no use, if we did not do it, he would have done it himself. From that day, he kept him in a comatose state, but we noticed that he was changing. His hair and skin was darker and I am sure the same can be said for his eyes."

"I still do not understand, what happened to Robin?"

"We think…that he is human now, mortal." I cannot feel my body. What is this? Robin is alive and he…is mortal? How can this be?

"Is that even possible?" He smiles weakly and pushes off the wall, walking towards me and ruffling my hair. I push his hand away and shake my head. "I…we need to get Garcia to stop this. This is not fair. What if someone put you in a coma and everyone told him that you were dead? Does he even care about what this is doing to me?"

"He does, Ivan, he does…" He turns away from me and starts walking back towards the basement, "Look, I am going to talk to him, to try to get him to stop this. Until then, I just want you to look after yourself. You look sick, Ivan." I roll my eyes.

"You don't look so hot yourself." I cover my mouth, blushing. There is a laugh from the common room and I poke my head through the doorway to see Gerald and Jasmine sitting on the couch with Susa across from them.

"Sarcasm? You must be happy that you found out that Robin is alive still. And it is all thanks to…" Susa waved his hand to another doorway and Mary walked in, blinking, "Mary." I turn and bow to her.

"Mary, if it had not been for you, I would not have ever known about any of this and you were even the one who healed Robin. Thank you so much." She smiles weakly.

"If I had really done anything special, I would not have allowed you to suffer for so long, mourning a death that had not even taken place. I will personally make sure that Robin recovers from this. Please do not be mad at Garcia forever, Ivan. He thought he was going the right thing when he did this to Robin. He was worried about you. He thought that Robin was just using you and he thought that this would come to pass."

"I…shall try, but I do not know." I sit down next to Susa, resting my head on his shoulder. He smirks at me and leans forward to whisper into my ear.

"So how do you like being uke?" I redden and kick him off the couch.

"What do you think of me, Susa?" He laughs as he sits on the couch again.

"I dunno, just something you said to me the night you got kidnapped…" I groan and rest my chin in my hand.

"Trust you to remember something little like that while your cousin is kidnapped by a vampire." He grins and me, waving his hand. "What should we do now?"

"Dunno, I guess all we can do for now is just wait."

Wait…for Robin, I would wait forever just to catch a glimpse of him.

Two weeks pass before Mary pulls me out of bed around four in the morning. "Get up, Ivan, get up and put some pants on." I stumble around in the darkness, feeling around for some pants. "Oh forget it, just come on." She drags me out of the room and down the stairs.

"Where are we going? Is there a hunt? Did Tokyo Tower turn into a spaceship and fly away like Gerald said it would?" I mumble, rubbing sleep out of my eye.

"Hey! It could happen!" I hear a muffled yell from Gerald's room.

"Shut up and go to sleep, Gerald!" yelled Susa from his room. Mary suddenly pushes me out into the common room and closes the door behind her; a click tells me she has locked me in as well. I turn around and poke the door before turning around and walking towards the couch, falling forward and trying to go to sleep again.

"Too…tired…"

Moments later, just as I had begun to fall asleep again, another door opens and closes behind someone. Someone stumbles forward and a surprised sound reaches my ears. I lift myself off the couch slowly and turn, almost falling forward when I see Robin standing a few feet from me. "Robin…" He smiles weakly as I jump off the couch and into his arms. He stumbles backwards slightly but manages to hold me. "I thought you were…"

"Shh, I am just fine now." I pull back slightly and look up at him before pulling him down into a kiss. He parts my lips and dips his tongue inside my mouth as he had done so many times before. I begin to suck on his tongue after a moment but he pulls away and leans forward, holding me close to him. "I'm alive, really alive."

"I know…" I whisper. Nothing in the world could make me happier than I am at this very moment with Robin and…you do not always have to smile when you are happy. "I love you, Robin."

"I love you, too, Ivan…more than anything else. I will always love you."

**-Owari-**

This ended a little too quickly for me. I may go back later and try to lengthen it but I hated seeing Ivan so down and then…he got mad and…heh. I just wanted Robin back and…::throws hands into air:: He's alive and with Robin again! ::bops Ivan for the kiss:: He just woke up, be gentle.  
  
Ivan: ::blushes:: You're the one who made me do it.

3 I know, I can make you do a lot of things. Heh ::evil plots form in mind:: Well, I take my leave of this story! Which is 68 pages in Verdana size 8. 62,957 words. I am so proud of this but now, it is time to work on other stories. XD I really need to take **Heavenly War** down and just make it an original story like I intended. Oh well, bai bai. Again, I am open to suggestions for a sequel…remember, Alex is not dead…like hitting a brick wall is going to kill him. Peh.   
  
Alex: Would it kill you?  
  
Meep! Ano…until my next story…Take care!


End file.
